Dusk
by LazyCollegeStudent
Summary: "When we got there, the teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my slip, gave me a book, and pointed me to the only open seat. To my surprise, Mr. Kinky was in the other seat at that table." My take on what Twilight would have been like if Bella were a boy and actually the nice, reasonable person she's supposed to be. SLASH
1. First Sight

A/N: I have no clue what possessed me to actually write this out. But here it is - Twilight, if Bella were a boy and not SMeyer. As such, this story will contain slash of the Ed/Cal variety. Nearly all pairings will be cannon. Obviously Renesmee will not exist - I have no workable explanation to explain Mpreg in the Twi-verse, so... not even going there. Jake will get a happy ending for I love him so very much. Updates will be pretty frequent... probably.

* * *

**1. First Sight**

My mom drove me to the airport. It was really hot, so we had the windows rolled down, and I looked up at what would probably be my last cloudless sky for a long time. Today, I'd be saying good-bye to Phoenix, probably for good. I was sad about that – I love the city and the sun and the heat and the fact that I rarely had to wear a raincoat. I hate my raincoat. It squeaks whenever I move. And, it's yellow. I look like a corpse in yellow, but Mom is convinced that it suits me.

I was going to live with my dad, Charlie, up in Forks, Washington. It rains all the time there, and the gloomy atmosphere that causes is a big part of why my mom divorced my dad and left town. I don't really like it there, either, but I always looked forward to spending a month each summer there with my dad, until I turned fourteen and my mom insisted that instead we spend two weeks in California. I'd come out to her and she'd seen a news report about small town violence towards gays. That had been better, though, because Dad and I could spend my whole visit together since he was off work.

"Cal, you don't need to go. You know that, right?" Mom looked at me, nervous fear clear in her expression. I smiled up at her.

"Don't worry, Mom. I want to go. I can't wait to see Dad, and you want to go with Phil. Everything is going to be fine." I meant it. I may hate Forks, but I love my dad more. The lie was that everything would be fine. I was probably more nervous about me going than she was. Mom parked the car and hugged me before unbuckling.

I studied my mom. Her short, dark brown hair was messy, falling into her red-rimmed eyes. She'd been crying. She may want to be with her new husband, but she also wants me with her. But, thanks to Phil's travel schedule, she can't have it both ways.

"Mom, I promise I'll call you as soon as I get there. That's why you got me a cell, right?"

"Right," Mom said, wiping her eyes. She smiled at me. "Tell Charlie I said hi, okay?"

"Anything," I answered, reaching over to hug her again. Then, we gathered my luggage and headed into the airport. An hour of waiting, and I was taking off to Forks. Well, Port Angeles is as close as I could get by plane, but Dad'll be there to get me. He called Mom this morning to double-check my arrival time and everything.

Dad was really excited for me to come live with him. We never seemed to have enough time together when I visited, so he was eager for a chance to have some solid bonding time now that I'm older and will be there all the time. He's even going to help me get a car, though I'm clueless with any of the maintenance or upkeep type of stuff. I hope he'll have time to show me.

When the plane landed in Port Angeles, I looked around for Dad and found him asleep in a chair outside of a McDonalds. I woke him up by shaking his shoulder.

"Cal!" Dad smiled before giving me a quick hug. We went and got my luggage, then loaded up the police cruiser. I probably should mention that Dad is the chief of police of Forks. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while as he drove.

"Uh, Cal, I found a good car for you." Dad announced about twenty minutes later.

"Really? What kind?" I asked, glad Dad seemed as excited about me getting my first car as I was. Dad nodded along to my questions.

"Actually, it's a Chevy truck. Remember my friend Billy Black?"

"One of the guys from La Push, right?" La Push is a small Indian reservation along the coast by Forks. Dad has lots of friends up there.

"Right, he's in a wheelchair now…"

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, it's because of his diabetes. Since he can't drive anymore, he offered me his truck for cheap."

"What year is it?"

"Well, the engine is brand new – that's the thing that makes it work," Dad said, making me laugh because I do know that much. Dad ruffled my hair before focusing back on driving. "The car itself was probably new in the sixties."

"So, it's vintage? That's cool! What color is it? How much is it?" I bombarded him with questions, getting excited. Dad laughed.

"It's red," he answered, "but we can paint it something else if you don't like it."

"No, red's fine. How much is it?" I asked again, trying to calculate how much money I could spend.

"Actually, Cal, I already bought it for you." My face broke out in a smile.

"Really? Thank you so, so, so much, Dad!" I leaned across the seat and hugged him.

"I just want you to like it here," Dad said, keeping his eyes on the road. He wasn't the most comfortable expressing his feelings, so I hugged him tighter before letting go.

"Thank you," I repeated. Then, the two of us settled back into silence.

It wasn't too much longer before we made it to Forks, then to Dad's house. It was a small, two-story, two-bedroom house that Dad bought before he and Mom split up. I wondered if he'd let me plant some flowers or shrubs to spruce up the lawn. Then, I saw my truck. It was an iron-framed beast of a thing – faded red and huge. I loved it instantly.

The minute Dad parked the cruiser, I was at the side of my truck and checking it out. Dad followed me, pointing out different things and even popping the hood to show me what stuff I need to check every now and then. Once we covered enough for the moment, Dad and I unloaded my luggage and took it to my room.

Dad isn't a hoverer like Mom is, so he left me alone to unpack. I looked around my new, well old, bedroom. The room designated as mine since I was a baby. Dad had kept it exactly the same as the last time I'd been here – desk and older Win 98 in the corner by the door and bed against the wall opposite the window. I went to the closet and saw Dad had put his old raincoat in there. It was blue.

After I finished unpacking everything, I sat at my desk and called Mom.

"Hey, Callie, how are you doing? Did you get there okay? Also, did you see where I put my pink shirt? You know, that one I like…" Mom was so busy with grading papers and stuff, she often misplaced things. "Phil and I have looked all over, and we can't find it."

"That's because I took it to the cleaners for that mustard stain. It should be ready to pick up now – meant to do that before I left. The ticket is on my nightstand." I answered. "And, yeah, I got here just fine – Dad was already waiting for me when I landed."

"Oh! Found the ticket! Thanks, sweetie. So is it raining there?"

"Of course, it's raining. Does it ever not rain here?" I laughed into the phone. Mom joined me.

"Well, be careful and call me tomorrow. I want to hear all about your first day!" She said.

"Wait! Dad bought me a truck!"

"What? Really?"

"Yeah! Mom, it's so cool. It's vintage and red and has a new engine! And, um, the seats are comfy-looking!" I felt embarrassed that I didn't really know the specs, but Mom didn't really care.

"Is it safe?"

"Yeah, it's one of those trucks that you see in an accident that doesn't even have a scratch while the other car is totaled."

"Good! Your dad knows his stuff. Well, I've got to go, Callie. I love you!"

"Love you, too! Bye!" We each hung up, and I headed downstairs. "Hey, Dad, can you give me directions to the school?"

Dad and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV and eating popcorn. There was a basketball game on. I'm not really into sports, but I knew enough from gym class to keep track of the action.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:30 and got ready for school. Dad was already gone when I got up, making the house too quiet, so I sang loudly in the shower. After I dressed, I packed a few notebooks and a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ in my back pack.

It didn't take any time to find the school – Dad gave me good directions. The school looked nothing like the one back in Phoenix. It was like a tiny village of brick houses. I drove up to the one I thought was the admin building, and parked my truck. Inside was an office, and there were three ladies. I walked up to the first lady, a redhead, and smiled awkwardly at her.

"Hello, can I help you?" She asked, looking up at me. I nodded.

"Hi, I'm Callisto Swan. Dad… er, Chief Charlie Swan, um, probably called…" I rambled off. I'm not good with people that aren't my parents. The lady smiled sympathetically and nodded.

"Yes, you're our new student. Let me get you your schedule," she said, pressing a few buttons on her computer and printing it off. She handed it to me, along with a few other papers. "Get this paper here signed by all your teachers and bring it back here, and here is a map of the place. Good luck!"

I thanked her before heading back to my car and moving it to the student lot. I fiddled with the button of dad's raincoat a moment before taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. I got out of my truck, shut the door, took three steps… and landed flat on my face.

Ow…" I moaned quietly. A hand reached down to help me up. I took it. It was a tall, dark-haired boy. "Thanks…"

"No problem. I'm Eric. You must be Callisto, right?" Eric helped me pick up my papers and bag.

"Yeah, but I go by Cal." I stuck my hand out in greeting. He took it. "Do you know where… Mr. Mason's English class is?"

"Dude, I've got that class now! I'll show you." Eric said. We joked about how I wasn't tan like he'd expected as we walked to class, and, when we got there, Eric showed me where to hang my raincoat. I sat by him until the teacher came in. Mr. Mason asked who I was and lead me to his desk to give me the reading list and sign my paper. I hurried back to my seat next to Eric.

Class started. We were going over _Wuthering Heights_, so I zoned out out of boredom, glancing at the reading list. I was sad to see so much stuff from the late 1800's and very early 1900's. I'm not very fond of that era. Eventually, class was over and everyone filed out.

"So, Cal, what do you have next?" Eric asked me as we left. I check my schedule.

"Um, Government in Building Six." I answered. Eric pointed me on the right path.

"Just go this way and you shouldn't miss it."

"Thanks, man. You're a life saver." We grinned at each other as we parted ways. Eric seemed pretty cool, if a tad nerdy. I smiled cheerfully as I walked to my class.

The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful. Most people glanced my way and turned back to their friends. A couple of people just kept staring at me, making me feel awkward. Eventually, it was time for lunch. A girl from my Trig class, whose name I was pretty sure was Jessica, invited me to sit with her and her friends. While we were eating, I glanced around the cafeteria. I spotted Eric and waved. He waved back. I was mid-drink of my juice when I saw _them_.

There were five of _them_, sitting in a corner far away from me: two girls (one a dark-haired pixie – short and thin - and the other a blonde supermodel type – tall and, er, buxom) and three boys (one was tall, dark-haired, and very muscle-y; another was taller, blonde, and not as built; the last was shorter than the other two, thin, and a redhead). They were all staring out in different directions and not talking at all, like a bunch of angry mimes. I stared at them, trying to understand what bothered me the most. When the pixie girl stood up and threw away her food, I figured it out. They weren't touching their food.

_That is so wasteful! If they weren't going to eat it, why did they even bother getting any? _I thought, turning back to my own lunch. My cheeseburger was almost gone. I finished it quickly, my irritation fueling my chewing. When I looked back up, they were gone. I shrugged, finishing my juice.

"Hey, Jessica?"

"Yeah?"

"The people that were sitting over there. Who were they?" I pointed at the now-empty table. Jessica and a dark-haired girl sitting with us nodded to each other.

"Those were the Cullens. They're a bunch of snobs that don't talk to anyone," Jessica said, "They were adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife, and the two Hale twins – the blondes – are together-together with the two brunettes. The redhead is Edward, and he thinks he's too good for any of the girls here."

The way she ended that made me wonder if she'd tried to ask him out. I shrugged and said, "Maybe he's gay."

"That has to be it!" Jessica exclaimed. She leaned forward. "I mean, there's no way that absolutely no girl would be his type unless he was."

"Guys, you shouldn't gossip like that," the dark-haired girl said as she laughed.

"But, he's a redhead. Redheads are always kinky," I said with a straight face, before we all collapsed in giggles. We're still laughing when the bell rings to signify the end of lunch. The dark-haired girl very nicely reminded me that her name was Angela, and the two of us walked to biology.

When we got there, the teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my slip, gave me a book, and pointed me to the only open seat. To my surprise, Mr. Kinky was in the other seat at that table. I plopped myself down next to him, and fished a notebook out of my bag. It wasn't until I was ready for class that I noticed Edward was glaring at me.

"Er… Hello?" I frowned at his murderous expression. "Can I help you?"

His only response was to narrow his eyes and tighten his grip on the desk.

"Are you… okay?"

"Just peachy," He replied through clenched teeth. I shrugged and turned to listen to the teacher. The lecture was on cells. Every now and then, I glanced at Edward, wondering if he was going to have a fit or something. When the bell rang at the end of class, he was the first one out the door.

"Wow, that Edward is being even weirder than normal," a blonde guy said from beside me.

"Yeah, what's up with him?" I asked, standing up and shouldering my bag. The guy shrugged.

"No clue. Guy's a freak. I'm Mike."

"I'm Cal."

"You're Chief Swan's son, right? Where's your next class?"

"Yup, and… gym." I consulted my schedule again. Mike nodded at me.

"Same here. I'll walk you."

"Thanks, man."

At the gym, the teacher, Coach Clapp, found a uniform and yelled at me to get dressed. I rushed to comply, sprinting to the locker room. I hated gym. If I'd stayed in Phoenix, I wouldn't have to take it again, but here it's needed every year. At least we're doing volleyball. Not a lot of running in volleyball.

After that class, the day was done. I walked to the office to return my paperwork, tightening up my raincoat. When I got inside, I saw Edward arguing with the nice secretary I'd talked to this morning. As I got closer I heard what he was trying to do – switch out of Biology immediately. I stepped back outside.

I couldn't believe that that guy was that upset about sharing a desk. Did something happen before I walked into the classroom? Had he overheard the teasing from me and the girls? Did I park in his spot that morning?

After about five minutes, Edward came out. He had a scowl on his face and was cursing quietly. Then, he stopped. He lifted his head and looked at me. Stared. Glared. Angry. _Fuck._

I started to run an instant before he lunged for me. I made it behind the Admin building before he had me pressed against the wet grass, my arms pinned above my head and him lying on top of me. Before he actually did anything, though, our eyes met and he stopped. I stared up, noting for the first time that his eyes were a dark gray, almost black. His grip was far too tight for me to consider struggling, so I stayed as still as possible. His eyes widened, like he was surprised at finding himself in this position, and he flew back, disappearing before I could make a sound.

It was in a state of stunned confusion that I turned in my slip, got in my truck, and drove home.

_What the hell?_


	2. Open Book

**2. Open Book**

The next day was less weird, though it didn't answer the questions I had.

It was normal because I was settling into a routine. Hang out with Eric before classes and during English, chat with Jessica and Angela during lunch, and round out the day laughing with Mike. I was getting the hang of figuring out where my classes were. The teachers were all on easy, if boring, subjects and there wasn't any homework yet.

It was strange that Edward wasn't there, and after that… thing behind the Admin building… I had questions. I considered marching up to his siblings during lunch and getting my answers from them, but I decided I'd rather hear his explanation from him. Of course, he didn't show up the rest of the week, testing my resolve.

I didn't tell Mom or Dad about the incident, since I had no idea what that was supposed to be. Was he going to beat me up? Force himself on me? Why was he so desperately trying to get out of class with me? What was with that look before he ran away?

I spent the weekend looking through the books at the Forks Public Library, but nothing there really caught my interest. Well, a few mythology books seemed neat, but at the moment I was looking for something more modern.

By the time Monday rolled around, I had all but decided to give in and ask one of the other Cullens for his cell number or their house phone, but when I stepped into the cafeteria Edward was there – like nothing happened. I stared at him. Hard. Jessica tried to get my attention a few times, but I was too busy trying to will that guy to turn around.

"CAL!" She shouted, and I was forced to focus on her.

"Sorry…" I mumbled off, turning to focus on her. "Mr. Kinky is just pissing me off."

"What did he do?" Angela asked. I shook my head.

"It was despicable, and I don't want to talk about it," I said, glaring back at the redhead. He looked up and over at me, finally. He looked away quickly. "Seems he thinks so, too."

"Are you gonna forgive him?" Jessica asked. I shrugged.

"I need to talk to him first. Really, it left me feeling beyond confused," I said, munching on an apple. I sighed, standing up to go talk to Edward Cullen. The walk over to his table seemed to last an eternity. When I reached it, Edward turned to me before I even uttered a sound. "I need to talk to you."

"What do you want?" the blonde girl, whose name I'd learned was Rosalie, asked me, sounding angry. I just glared at Edward until he stood up. We went outside, away from prying eyes.

"Couldn't this have waited until Biology?" Edward had the nerve to ask.

"No. Now, what the hell was that last week?" I demanded. Edward shuffled his feet.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't. What was up with you tackling me and pinning me down and what the hell, Ed?" I shouted. Edward shook his head.

"Edward," he corrected, "I go by Edward."

"When you nearly assault a guy, you don't get to pick what you're called. Now answer me."

"No. Can't we speak of something more pleasant?"

"What were you going to do? Beat me up? Kiss me? Dude, I deserve some answers," I said, not giving up. Edward looked me in the eyes. His seemed different than last week. They were a light brown, almost gold… Or was it gold that was nearly brown?

"Honestly? I'm not really sure. It was as if I were on autopilot," Edward said. He took a step closer to me, getting almost too close. "It won't happen again."

"It better not."

"It won't." I studied his face. He seemed determined, so I decided I'd give him one last chance. After all, nothing had actually happened.

"Fine, I'll forgive you. _This_ time," I said, crossing my arms. Edward smiled.

"Thank you," he whispered, before stepping even closer. I stepped back.

"Eddy, back off." I pushed him back with a hand on his chest. "Personal space bubble."

"Sorry," he said, stepping back a few paces. I relaxed, and the bell rang. "Can we start over? May I walk with you to Biology?"

"Fine – to the walking. I still need to mull over the other part." We went back into the cafeteria to grab our stuff. I looked over at Edward while we walked. He was biting his lower lip and his brows were furrowed. On our way to the science building, it started snowing very hard. The two of us stopped to look up at the clouds. "Man, I've never seen so much snow."

"Really?"

"Well, it's hot in Phoenix, so if it ever does snow it all melts quickly," I said, trying to catch some on my tongue. Edward smirked at me, and everything went wet and white as he mushed a snowball in my face. Scowling, I wiped it off and tried to get a snowball of my own to retaliate with, but Edward was too fast, throwing more at me until I was on the ground laughing with my arms up in surrender. As I wiped my eyes again, I noticed that we weren't the only ones that were engaging in impromptu snow-fights.

"Come on, we're going to be late for class," Edward said, pulling me to my feet. I nodded, adjusting my backpack. I shivered from the wet and the cold, and Edward grabbed my wrist to pull me inside. I would have been angry, but I was so cold and the building was so warm. Plus, he seemed to need to get inside more than I did – his hand felt frozen.

We walked to the room in silence, and it wasn't the awkward kind. His hand had moved from my wrist to my hand, but I didn't think he'd noticed. I noticed. I noticed all the way to our table. I noticed when he didn't let go when we sat down. I noticed when he finally looked at our hands and pulled his away. I noticed that my hand still tingled for a full minute after he let go.

"Well, class, we're going to do a lab on cell stages today…" Mr. Banner started explaining the lab, but I couldn't pay attention. I tried to, but my focus kept drifting to my hand. I wondered if I had nerve damage from Edward's cold hand and if that's why my hand felt weird for so long.

Mr. Banner and Mike started passing out microscopes and boxes of slides, presumably for the lab. I felt clueless about what was going on, glancing at Edward and hoping he'd been better able to pay attention than I had. He smiled at me.

"Would you like to look first, or should I?" He asked. I gestured for him to go first. He looked at the first slide. "Ah, the prophase."

_Oh, so we're doing _that _lab. Sweet! We did that in class before I left!_ I thought, taking a look myself. "Yeah, definitely the prophase. I'll do the next one."

We finished a few minutes before the rest of the class. Edward stared at me a moment once we were finished.

"So, Cal, why did you move to forks?" He asked.

"Well, my mom got remarried-" I started to answer.

"And you don't like the new husband?" I frowned at his interruption and presumption.

"That isn't it. Phil travels a lot for his job, and Mom wants to go with him," I said. Edward nodded along.

"But you don't like Forks?" He continued on with his questions. I shrugged, not sure why he was so interested.

"It's growing on me. Besides, I wanted to live with Dad," I answered. I was about to ask some questions of my own, when Mr. Banner stepped up to our table. He looked at our answer paper, covered with Edward's really… pretty handwriting.

"Edward, you should let Callisto have a chance to do some of the work," he said with a disapproving frown on his face.

"But, Cal did most of the work. I simply wrote the answers down." I nodded at his statement.

"His handwriting is much more readable than mine, Mr. Banner," I said, giving Mr. Banner a smile. He 'hmm'-ed and took our paper. I turned back to Edward, whispering, "Is he always that mental? Why would he assume that?"

"I believe Mr. Banner isn't very fond of me. He only gets 'mental' when I'm involved," Edward answered, and I smiled, before he continued with, "Now, where were we?"

"I believe you were trying to learn my life story."

"Ah, yes, I remember. What is it your step-father does for a living?" Edward kept his eyes on me while he waited for my answer.

"He's a baseball player," I replied dryly. Edward smirked at me, patting my shoulder.

"Am I annoying you?"

"A bit," I answered, "Can I ask you a question?"

"As long as it isn't 'why are you interested in me', then yes," Edward says, sitting back in his chair.

"Do you wear color contacts? Your eyes were nearly black last time I saw you," I said, as the memory of those dark eyes boring into mine filled my head. The gold-brown ones were nicer to look at, but those black ones were intense.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. My eyes do not change color. Ever," Edward answered, turning to face out the window. I laughed quietly, covering my mouth with my hand. "What is so funny?"

"That level of denial just proves it. Eddy-kins wears colored contacts," I said, gathering my stuff up as the bell rang, "Also, why _are _you so interested in me?"

"I do believe I said you weren't to ask that," Edward mumbled, walking beside me out the door.

"And, I do believe I don't care," I replied back. Edward 'harrumph'-ed and headed toward building three. I watched him go, smiling, before Mike smacked my shoulder.

"Hey, lover-boy, we're going to be late," Mike said, a knowing smirk on his face. I felt my face get hot.

"I'm not… What are you… I do not like Edward Cullen!" I stormed ahead of him. Mike knew my orientation – guessed it my third day here. He didn't really care, and I adored him for that. He was swiftly becoming my best friend here.

"Oh? And what was it you said to 'Eddy-kins', him? Ah, yes, 'that level of denial just proves it'," Mike chuckled at my back as he caught up to me. He slung an arm around my shoulder. "Really, man, I'm happy for you. Less competition for me if you and Eddy became an item."

"Oh? Does Michael have a special lady-friend?" I asked, honestly interested but unable to keep the teasing out of my voice. Mike shrugged.

"Uh… Yeah… Maybe. You know Jessica?" Mike's face went a little red there.

"You mean that girl I take Trig with, Spanish with, and sit with at lunch? Hmm, I might have heard of her." Mike laughed.

"I kinda… I want to ask her out, I think," he admitted. I nodded.

"Go for it. I'm sure she likes you back," I said. Mike shrugged. The two of us stepped into the gym and headed to the locker room. "Honestly, Mike, I'll talk you up if that'd make you feel better."

"You would?"

"Of course I would." Mike grinned and slapped my back. We got changed and headed out to another rousing game of volleyball. Mike covered me most of the game because I sucked at it, but, even so, by the end of the class I felt good. Really good actually. I all but skipped to my truck. I sang along with the radio the whole way home.

During dinner, Chinese take-out, I looked up at Dad. "Hey, do you know anything about the Cullens?"

"Dr. Cullen is a fantastic doctor – he fixed me up when I got shot once. Why?" Dad fixed me with a perplexed look. I only caught one thing in that sentence.

"When did you get shot? Are you okay? Why didn't you tell…" I drifted off when Dad gave me the 'shut up now' look all parents seem able to use.

"I'm fine, it was just an accident. Jacob, Billy's son, dropped his father's loaded hunting rifle while I was at their house a year ago. Thing hit weird and went off. Dr. Cullen fixed me up just fine," Dad said, "I didn't tell you because you'd just worry. You're worse than Renee when it comes to that. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. Now, why do you want to know about the Cullens?"

"Well, I don't know about the others, and now Dr. Cullen is at the top of my like list, but that Edward guy is a weirdo," I said, stabbing a piece of sweet-and-sour chicken. Dad laughed.

"What did he do?"

"Well, he wears colored contacts and he acts so entitled and he mushed snow in my face," I said, still leaving the Admin Building thing out. I didn't really want to share that with anyone. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"He… mushed snow in your face."

"Well, that was… a one-sided snow fight," I admitted, feeling myself flush. Maybe Mike had a point. Maybe I did have a small, tiny, insignificant crush on Edward. Dad reached over and patted my back before fixing me with a stern gaze.

"Cal, just… be careful, okay?" Dad said. I nodded. The rest of dinner was finished in silence, and afterwards I went to my room to do homework. In the middle of finishing Trig, my cell buzzed. I'd gotten a text.

_Cal – it might be best if we didn't become friends. x Edward_

_Ed – Who said we were? xx Cal_

_Cal – I mean it. xxx Edward_

_Ed – But, why? You're the one that wanted to start over. xxxx Cal_

_Cal – I'm dangerous. xxxxx Edward_

_Ed – Says the guy that signs his texts with kisses. xxxxxx Cal_

_Cal – See you tomorrow. xxxxxxx Edward_

I decided to call it a night. Homework suddenly felt like the last thing on my mind.

* * *

A/N: People did text in 2005. After this there won't be a chunk of texts with no action, I promise. I just didn't want to write "I wrote. The cell dinged with Edward's reply." or some variation over and over. Plus, I can't decide if Eddy would be a fast typer or if his old age would make him a super slow one.

Update: I've been made aware that who the texts are from/to might be confusing. First one is from Edward, and Cal is just mimicking his old-man style (no offense older people of the male variety). The texts should be read like this:

Cal -  
it might be best if we didn't become friends.  
x Edward


	3. Phenomenon

A/N: Okay, here's chapter 3. The amazing Van of Doom incident. Also, I was in a car wreck once - getting insta-freaked afterwards followed by being okay, then heading into noodle-dom before finally feeling fine again... that's a common order of reactions. Also, Bella being able to describe every miniscule event isn't normal. At all. Unless it was going in super slow-mo, she was already a meyerpire at this point.

* * *

**3. Phenomenon**

When I woke up the next morning, something felt different. I wasn't sure what it was, until after I got out of the shower and was getting dressed.

"It's sunny!" I said, basking in the sunshine pouring into my room. I hummed to myself as I went around getting ready. It wasn't until I fell down in the driveway that I realized that the snow from yesterday had melted and refrozen to an icy deathtrap. I managed to get inside my truck, cursing my luck as I prepared to drive to school.

It was difficult, but I finally managed to get myself to the school and park in one piece. After that harrowing experience, I let myself pull out my cell phone to look again at the texts Edward had sent me. I wondered what he meant when he said that he was dangerous. He didn't seem dangerous, just strange.

And cute.

I got out of my truck, dropping my cell phone when I reached in for my backpack. As I reached down to pick it up, I noticed that Dad had put chains on my tires. I smiled and reached out to touch them, feeling warm inside and happy. When I stood up, I saw Edward looking at me from across the parking lot. He waved lightly at me, which I returned. It looked like today would be a very good one.

Then I heard a scream. I looked around to see where it was coming from, and saw a van spinning and heading my way. Everything blurred for a very short moment, and I hit my head off of something hard. When it all stopped, arms were wrapped around me, and I was against someone's chest. I looked up to see Edward and his bright gold eyes gazing down at me. I saw the van, the dents in it. My truck was on the other side of us and we were in the very middle.

"I… I…" All at once, I felt myself beginning to panic. I should have been dead right then. I couldn't breathe, and Edward just pulled me closer. "I… I…"

"You're okay, Cal. I'm here. Everything's okay." Edward kept repeating. I clung to him, needing to hold him so I wouldn't cry. My head ached where it had struck whatever had hit it. Edward started stroking my hair, and I felt the panic level go down. Eventually, I pulled back, though Edward didn't let go.

"I don't know how you got here, and I don't care. Thank you." I said, rubbing my eyes and realizing they were wet. Edward pulled me back against him and made me rest my head against his shoulder.

"But, I was right next to you, Cal." He said. I sighed.

"I know that's not true. We waved at each other before I even saw the van, remember?" I mumbled. Edward shook his head, and I winced as that movement jarred my head.

"Sorry," Edward murmured, taking up petting my hair some more. I relaxed as he kept it up. "But, Cal, I mean it. I was right beside you the whole time."

"Sure, Edward, whatever you say." His hand paused. "What?"

"That's the first time you've used my name." Edward said softly, resuming his stroking. There were a few shouts from outside our cocoon. The people outside were trying to move the van, and I could hear an ambulance siren.

"Well, when a you save a guy, you get to pick what you're called." I say, closing my eyes. "But, that's another thing…"

"Hunh?"

"How did you even manage to save me? That van should have smooshed us." Edward ran his hand from my hair down my arm.

"Please… Please don't ask me about this. Don't think about it. Don't question it." He requested, taking hold of my hand. I squeezed his, noting that it was as cold as before.

"Can I wait until the concussion is gone before I agree to anything? I mean, just like how you got over so fast, I don't care. I won't tell anybody. I owe you." His other arm wrapped tighter around my waist.

"I don't want you to owe me." Edward said. "What I want is…"

The van moved, several police officers and teachers pushing and pulling it out of the way. Dad was at us the very next minute. He leaned down next to us, almost pulling me out of Edward's hold, but I whimpered when he tried.

"What happened, Cal? Are you hurt?"

"He hit his head, but otherwise we're unharmed." Edward said, answering for me. A couple of the EMT guys came over with a stretcher, loaded me on it, and put a neck brace on me. Dad leaned close to me.

"Callie, I'm going to follow you in the cruiser. I'll be right behind you." He said.

"Okay." I said, as the guys loaded me into the ambulance. On the way there, the guys checked me out – made me follow the light, checked my blood pressure, made sure I stayed conscious. I was beginning to wonder about the driver of the van – the person in the accident that didn't have Edward shielding them from harm. I asked the EMTs, but they just told me not to worry.

That made me more concerned, but I couldn't ask again until after we'd already arrived at the hospital. I was shuffled into the Emergency Room and through several X-rays and a urine test before I was placed in a room. Next to me was Tyler, a guy in my Government class who I guessed was the driver. He started freaking out when he saw my neck brace.

"I am so sorry, Cal. Really, I… the ice… I'm so sorry!" He apologized over and over. I shook my head as well as I could with the brace. Here he was apologizing to me, who had a concussion at worst, when he was all cut up and bruised.

"Tyler, it's totally fine. I know you didn't mean to do it. Heck, I only kept from spinning on that ice because Dad put chains on my tires. I'm just fine, man. No big deal at all."

"No big… I almost killed you! I… If Cullen hadn't been there, you'd be dead – really dead!" He began to get hysterical. I sighed.

"Yeah, I know. But, working yourself up over an accident is just pointless. I've got a concussion, tops, and nothing else. You look like you were attacked by a mob of angry cats and a shovel." I said, standing up and plopping down in one of the visitors' chairs next to Tyler. A nurse gave me a look, and was about to say something, when a handsome, blonde doctor came in, followed by Dad.

"Cal! You should be in bed." Dad scolded.

"But, Tyler was freaking out, and I'm fine." I said, obeying. Dad shot Tyler a dirty look. "Dad! I'm fine. Only hit my head."

"It's true, Chief Swan. Callisto was very lucky – not even a concussion." The doctor said, gently feeling around my head. When he touched a sore spot, I winced. "Is this spot tender?"

"Very."

"Well, I'll prescribe some pain killers. You'll probably find yourself feeling sorer later on, also. I want to keep you another hour or two to be safe, but you'll make a full recovery." The doctor said, taking my neck brace off. Dad gave a sigh of relief, his whole body visibly relaxing.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen." Dad said, sitting down next to me on the hospital bed. I looked up at Doctor Cullen.

"You're Edward's dad?" I asked, leaning against Dad. Dr. Cullen nodded.

"Actually, my son would like to talk to you, if you're feeling up to it." He said, moving on to look at Tyler.

"Yes." I answered automatically. "I'd like that, too."

"Good. I'll send him in once I'm finished here. You two should go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Chief Swan, if you need to get back to work, Edward can drive Cal home once you finish up the paperwork." I was struck by how efficiently Dr. Cullen could hold a conversation with us and thoroughly check Tyler out at the same time. "Mr. Crowley, you, unfortunately, weren't so lucky. You have several broken ribs and have lost a decent amount of blood. I'm afraid you'll have to stay at least overnight."

"Okay… Cal, I'm really sorry." Tyler said, settling back into the pillow behind him.

"Tyler – you're injured a lot worse than I am. Stop apologizing and get some rest." I said. Dad squeezed me close.

"Callie, I'm so sorry, but Dr. Cullen is right. I've got to get back to work." He said with a regretful look on his face. I shook my head.

"It's okay, Dad. Honest. Edward'll take me home. Ah, but what about my truck?"

"It was towed to a mechanic. The tail light was busted, but otherwise it's fine. We can go get it tomorrow." Dad replied. I relaxed, glad that my truck came out as unscathed as I did. Dr. Cullen held two pieces of paper in front of me.

"Here's your prescription and a school slip. You're excused for today and tomorrow. Get plenty of rest. Chief Swan, if you'll follow me, I'll have a nurse get the paperwork." Dad squeezed my shoulder and followed the doctor out. I found my clothes in the chair next to my bed and pulled the curtain to change out of the hospital gown. I'd only managed to get my pants on when a pair of hands held out my shirt to help me.

"Hey, I though pulling the screen meant I'd get some privacy." I teased, sliding my arms in. Edward turned me around and started buttoning my shirt up with a swiftness and ease I'd never possess.

"I didn't look until you had your pants on." Edward said, resting his hands on my shoulders. He examined me with his eyes as if he hadn't believed I was fine when his father told him. "Now, I believe Father said you need food."

"Yeah." I said, and Edward ran his hand down my arm until he was holding my hand. Just as the first time, I was very aware of it. This time, he seemed aware of it, too. He squeezed my hand, slowly leading me out of the room and towards the cafeteria. I was grateful for the pace, feeling more tired and noodle-y as we walked. He let go of my hand to wrap that arm around me once we were in the elevator. I leaned against him.

"Are you all right?" He asked. I nodded.

"Just exhausted. Car wrecks take a lot out of us mere mortals, I guess." Edward stiffened beside me.

"About that…" Edward trailed off. He seemed unsure as to what it was he needed to say. What he could say. My stomach growled.

"Look, you feed me, and I'll be your humble slave for all time. I'm starving." I said jokingly, and Edward smiled. We exited the elevator.

"I think I can agree to that. I can always use more slaves."

"Oh? And how many do you have?" Edward laughed quietly, shaking his head. We moved down a long hallway, and entered the cafeteria. Edward let go of me so I could get my food, though he stayed close.

"Well, in a minute, I'll have one." I smiled at him, loading up my tray with fruit salad, some cauliflower and broccoli, a diet Pepsi, and a cheeseburger. Edward put a banana on my tray, giving the excuse, "You need more potassium."

"Oh, is that it? I think you just want to watch me eat a banana."

"Why would I want to do that?" Edward frowned, perplexed look on his face. "Is there something special about eating bananas?"

I laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more. The people around us gave me weird looks, but Edward truly not understanding… I couldn't help myself. Edward glared at me. "S… sorry, but… you…"

I fought to get myself under control, suppressing my laughter. Once I had calmed myself, I looked up at him. "Just think about it for a minute. Think about what bananas are roughly shaped like."

"I still don't know what you're getting at."

I shook my head and headed to the cashier. Edward stuck out a credit card before I could even pull out my wallet. Food paid for, we found a quiet table in a corner.

"Thanks for lunch." I started eating my cheeseburger. Edward just watched me. He was very intense about it, staring at me without blinking. When I finished the burger, I moved on to the vegetables, then the fruit salad. The whole time, Edward just kept staring, staring, staring. I felt beyond awkward by the time I reached the banana. I ate the whole thing, boldly making eye contact. Edward's expression never changed. When I finished, he finally moved – tilting his head to the side. I jerked, startled.

"I still do not understand the joke."

"J-just don't worry about it. It's actually pretty perverted."

Edward picked up my tray, dumping it for me. I followed, feeling much less like jello after eating. We went down another hallway and out to a parking lot. He held my hand again as he lead me to his Volvo. I got into the passenger seat and buckled up.

"You know, Cal, you really shouldn't think about perverted things. It's not good." Edward said as he got in and fastened his own seatbelt. I rolled my eyes.

"Believe it or not, Edward, but I'm a guy. I think like a guy. I act like a guy." I said, leaning against the door, and looking at him.

"I'm a guy, and I do not think of such things."

"Well, you're… special, right?" I countered. Edward gripped the wheel tighter. "Don't worry, Edward, I'm not going to mention how special you are to anyone else."

"Why?"

"Well, for starters, I don't mind being around you." I admitted, and Edward relaxed his grip. "Secondly, who would actually believe me? 'Dad, that Ed guy was on the other side the freaking parking lot. He's not normal!' and Dad would just go 'Cal, you hit your head pretty hard, are you sure you're just not thinking of some other time?' and he'd call your dad to ask him to double check my X-rays."

"I suppose that's true." Edward said, and it was as if his whole body relaxed, sinking in to his seat. "But, you really won't tell anyway?"

"Ed, dude, you saved my life. Why would I cause trouble for you?" I asked. He scooted over away from me just a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Just… Just has to do with my 'specialness'. Please don't be offended." The tone was begging.

"Okay. And… your request before, at the school…"

"Yes?" He fixed me with a calm stare.

"Yeah, I won't asked questions… for now. Sometime, after we know each other better, I might want to ask, but right now we are very much strangers. There're other, much more important, questions to ask."

"Like what?" He asked, pulling into my driveway. I wondered how we got here so quickly.

"Like… what are you doing Friday?" I asked, as I unbuckled.

"What?"

"What is your favorite color? What are your hobbies? Do you have a favorite book?" I continued. Edward chuckled. "I can keep this up for weeks, without ever getting to that… special stuff."

"Go inside and get some rest. I'll text you later." Edward said, reaching over and taking hold of my hand again, squeezing it before letting it go. I got out of the car and went inside.

That night, I dreamt of Edward for the first time.


	4. Invitations

A/N: Okay, here's the fourth chapter!

* * *

**4. Invitations**

Everything was dark in my dream. The only light came from directly above Edward, who was casually walking away. I tried to catch him, but it was as if I was moving in slow-mo. I called out to him. He turned - the same expression from the day we met on his face. Something cold touched my face, and I woke, gasping for breath. After several minutes, I settled back into an uneasy sleep. That was only the first of many nights that scenario played out.

The month after the van hit me was pretty nice.

The whole first week after I got back, everyone hit me up for details because Tyler hadn't made it back yet. That was flattering at first, so many people caring. Eventually, Mike took over repeating the story on my behalf. I'd claimed I didn't want to think about how close I came to dying, but really I was afraid I might accidently mention something about Edward's specialness. Edward didn't seem to have the same problem; even now, no one spoke to him but his family and me. Or was it that he didn't speak to anyone?

When Tyler got back, he kept trying to make the whole thing up to me. He kept following me around, trying to help me with things. If my locker didn't open first try, he'd push me away and try to do it for me. If I tripped in the hallway, he'd yell at whoever had bumped me and pick up my books. No matter how much I tried to explain to him that it was fine, I was fine, dear lord Tyler I can go to the bathroom by myself, he just wouldn't stop. By the second week of it, I finally told him that I'd punch him in the face if he didn't cut it out. That got him to back off.

For that entire month, Edward avoided me and didn't talk to me while we were in school. But, every evening when I got home, he'd call me and bombard me with all sorts of questions: What were my hobbies, my favorite color, what was my favorite food to eat when I was a little kid, all sorts of things. Every time I tried to loop the questions back to him, he somehow managed to flip the words around to keep me answering his. He did answer me when I asked him why he wouldn't be around me at school. It was because of his specialness making it hard to be up close to me, just like it did in the car. He asked me not to take it personally.

That did, of course, make me wonder if I should.

By the end of February, everyone's topic of conversation had turned to the girls' choice dance on March 12th. At the end of Spanish on February 22, Jessica looked up at me while we packed up our things.

"Hey, Cal, would you like to the dance with me?" She asked, giving me a beautiful smile. I smiled back, shaking my head.

"Sorry, baby, it's just not going to work out between us." Jessica pouted, so I added, "You see, I'm on Mr. Kinky's team. But, if you want to go out with someone…"

"Wait, you're…?"

"Yep. But, I do know a guy that's been agonizing over asking you out." I said. Jessica nodded at me to continue. "You know Mike Newton, yes?"

"I had the biggest crush on him last year! Really? He's been dying to ask me out?"

"He's shy. Go tackle him with your fabulousness. Go on, before he thinks you aren't interested. Shoo." I pushed her ahead of me as we entered the cafeteria. Jessica hurriedly made her way to where Mike was sitting. I got my food and sat down with Angela like always.

"Cal, um, I was wondering… would you like to come to the dance with me? I was going to ask Ben, but…" Angela twiddled her fingers while she asked. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Angela, Ben will definitely say yes. You're pretty, smart, nice, and wonderful." I said, patting her shoulder. Ben Cheney was a guy in Angela's English class that she'd been crushing on since before I even came to Forks. "There's no way he'll say no."

"Well… I'll try." She said, still looking down. I started eating my pear, glancing over at Edward's table. He was smirking at me. I felt my face heat up and turned back to my food. I didn't look up again until I was finished. Edward was the only Cullen still seated, and he was still looking at me. That was another thing that had become normal over the past month – him watching me while I eat. It was just like at the hospital, him watching and never blinking. Never eating, either. "Hey, Cal?"

"Hn?" I asked, turning to look at Angela. She had a quizzical look on her face.

"Are you… Are you seeing Edward Cullen?" My face heated up more.

"We're talking. I don't know if there's anything more. I don't even know if he likes… me."

"Well, good luck, Cal."

"You, too, Angie." The bell rang, and the two of us made our way to the science building. Mike was sitting in my seat with a triumphant smirk on his face. Edward hadn't arrived yet. "Ah, good sir, what hath ye in such a state?"

"Jessica asked me to the dance, dude!" Mike laughed, standing up and poking my shoulder. "And, I just know that you helped her come to such a wonderful decision."

"Not really. I just told her that a little birdy told me that a big birdy told him that you might possibly not say no if she asked. It turns out that she's wanted you to ask her out as much as you've wanted to do so." I said, sliding around Mike and settling into my chair.

"Well, if you need me to drop hints at Cullen, let me know. I owe you so much right now." Mike said, leaning over my desk. Edward appeared behind him, unable to reach his seat thanks to how Mike was standing. I hid my face on my arms, knowing he'd heard Mike.

"Then get off my table. Cullen needs to sit down." Edward said. Mike mumbled a 'Sorry!' and scrambled to his desk. At least, I assumed it was to his desk. I was still hiding my face. Edward plopped down beside me and patted my back. "You need to get more considerate friends. Although, I don't understand why you are ashamed that you like me."

I shook my head, looking up at him. "I'm not ashamed of anything. It's just embarrassing because we haven't exactly talked about what this is supposed to be."

"What what is supposed to be?" Edward asked.

"You know, me, you, this talking thing." Edward was quiet for a moment. Mr. Banner started class, and I pulled out my notebook to take notes. Halfway into class, a piece of paper found its way under my left hand. I looked at it.

_Honestly, this talking thing shouldn't even be happening. It would be much better if we weren't friends, weren't anything. I'm sorry to have let this go on for so long._

_x Edward_

Irritated, I glared at him. Even if we weren't really together-together, it just wasn't nice to break up with someone, even just a friend, via a note. I started scratching out a reply.

_Better for whom, exactly? And, what do you mean we shouldn't be friends? What's your deal? Sending me a note like that and still signing it with a kiss. What are you? A girl?_

_Cal_

I sneakily slid the note back to him, glad we were a few rows away from the front. It took him what seemed like ten minutes to give me a response. The fact that Mr. Banner was still beating cells to death didn't help, either.

_Believe me – it has nothing to do with you. Honest. It's my family. They don't trust you, and they are very concerned I might let things slip. Rose was considering some very awful things to keep you silent. Also, that part of the thing that requires I not get closer to you than at least a foot most of the time. Also, I'm dangerous._

_Also, I resent that._

_X__ Edward_

I relaxed in my seat.

_Dear lord that's a stupid reason. I'm __not__ going to tell anyone anything, so tell Rosie she has nothing to worry about. How could you accidently tell me anything when you refuse to answer any of my questions at all, anyway? By the way, stop that. We're doing okay as things are right now, so your personal bubble isn't a big deal. And, how? So far you've been the opposite of dangerous._

_Also, I don't care. It's girly. Next you'll be dotting your i's with hearts._

_Cal_

I slid the paper back to Edward. Mr. Banner was mentioning… something or other about some kind of cycle, and I started absently doodling a motorcycle. I didn't get a reply until the bell rang. Edward put his hand on my shoulder, keeping me from standing up. In a whisper that wouldn't be overheard over the sound of everyone packing up and leaving, he told me, "Really, Callisto, you shouldn't get involved with me. It could be very bad for you."

"Are you going to call me tonight?" I asked, refusing to play around. And, that's clearly what this was. He wasn't dangerous; everything he'd done until now had contradicted that.

"…yes."

"Good. I'll talk to you later, then." I said, shirking off his grip and going to Gym. Mike was waiting for me outside the building. "Yo."

"What the heck was up with Cullen? During class he kept making all these faces and stuff."

"So, you were watching." I groaned, stepping past Mike to get inside. We crossed the gym to the locker room.

"He was pretty pissed that I was in his way. Or, was it that I was talking to you?" I could hear the accusation in his tone.

"I'm sure it was just you being in his way. He's… dealing with some things right now, so stupid crap gets him more upset than it would otherwise." Mike nodded along to my explanation. "And, well, it was that stuff that had him upset. Also, why were you watching?"

"Because I was bored."

"Ah, are the cells not interesting you anymore?"

"They didn't to start with." Mike said, and we started changing before running out to class.

We had moved on from volleyball to basketball, the bane of my existence. There was far too much running in basketball, and all the balls seemed honed in to my head. After the fifth one hit me with enough force to actually knock me down, Coach Clapp decided to let me sit out for the last fifteen minutes to give the others a chance to actually play. That was nice.

On the way to my truck, I got a text from Dad, saying he'd be home late. Someone had called off. I sighed, deciding McDonalds would be good for a solo dinner. I got in my truck and headed off.

When I got home, Jessica called the house. She asked me to go with her, Angela, and a friend of theirs named Lauren to Port Angeles to give them a guy's opinion on dresses. Ben had said yes to Angela. I agreed that I'd go, but the minute they all started making super girl talk I'd be at a bookshop. Jessica agreed to my terms, so we decided to go this Friday.

My cell rang in the middle of us gushing over how cute Angela and Ben were. I told Jessica I'd talk to her tomorrow. It was Edward on my cell.

"So, tell me – what is your favorite color?" I asked right after I picked up. Edward chuckled.

"Eager, are you?" Edward said. I tsk'd into the phone. Edward made a big show of sighing before he answered. "Brown."

I was glad I was alone because that made me blush. His favorite color was the same as my hair. It was obviously a coincidence, but still…

"Okay, what's your favorite song?"

He let me lead to Q&A for two hours. Then, before we said good-bye, he asked if I had plans for next Saturday.

"No, why?"

"So, no one asked you to the dance?"

"Nope."

"Well, would you mind keeping it free, for me? I mean, I don't want to go to the dance… I had something else – Of course, you don't have to… I mean…" I cut him off.

"Edward, relax. Yes, I'll go out with you on Saturday." I said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then." Edward replied. Then we said good night, and I went upstairs, changed into my pajamas, and went to bed.

And just like always I woke up when that cold thing touched my face.


	5. Blood Type

****Sorry this took so long. RL was busy.

* * *

**5. Blood Type**

I was so exhausted after so many nearly-sleepless nights, that I ended up oversleeping the next day and arrived late to English. Mr. Mason gave me a look when I came in halfway through the lecture.

"Ah, it seems that Mr. Swan finally feels like joining us." He sneered, causing me to flush. I sat down in my seat by Eric and buried my face in my arms. Eric patted my shoulder.

"Dude, you okay?" He asked under his breath. I nodded. Eric grinned at me, secretly passing over the notes I missed.

"Thanks, man." He nodded and told me to just get them back to him at lunch. Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang. Mike met the both of us at the door.

"Hey, I'm trying to get a group to go down to the beach Saturday. Are you guys in?" He asked us.

"Down at La Push?" Eric asked as the three of us walked out of the language building. Mike nodded. "Cool, I'm in."

"You can bring _Eddy-poo_ if you want." Mike and Eric both chuckled. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you're just jealous because your women aren't as pretty." I said. They laughed some more. "But, yeah, I'll come and I'll see if he wants to go."

"Alright! Well, I'll see you two later!" Mike said, and we went our separate ways.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was feeling pretty good. I gave Eric his notes back before going to get my food. When I headed back to my regular table, a chair slid out in front of me. I looked in the direction it came from. Edward was sitting at a table all by himself. His eyes were honed in on me.

"Sit with me, please?" He asked. I shrugged and pushed the chair back towards the table, sat in it, and set down my tray. He scooted his chair closer to mine. "Thank you."

"So, what's up?" I asked. Edward ran a single finger over the back of my hand. He was quiet for several moments, as if collecting his thoughts. I let him be, starting to eat my lunch with my other hand.

"Cal… I'm not… good… for you." Edward mumbled, continuing to trace the back of my hand. I shook my head, setting down my sandwich and placing the newly empty hand on his.

"I thought we cleared this up yesterday. You can't say that if everything you do shows the opposite. Makes me think the problem is me." Edward shook his head. I squeezed his hand. "Then, tell me what makes you think that you're not good."

"It's… what I am. I'm something awful… and you matter too much. I shouldn't have let you get so close. It's dangerous." He stared down at our hands. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you a member of the mafia?"

"What? No!" His head snapped up to look at me like I was a crazy person.

"Are you an alien sent to conquer the human race?"

"No, but-"

"Are you really the Joker or some other comic book villain?" I kept my face straight through all this. He shook his head, laughing quietly. I relaxed in my seat. "Then, chill out. I'm a big boy."

"Thanks." Edward whispered. "But, that specialness of mine that we joke about… It could _kill_ you."

I laughed. "Eddy, you twisted up a car in my presence. I'm not an idiot. I know I'm easier to twist up than a car. But, I trust you to stop yourself before you actually kill me."

"Yeah?"

"You did the day we met. Now should be easier than then. Right?" I asked, looking into his disbelieving eyes. He slowly nodded, relaxing. "Okay?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"If it's too hard sometimes, we can just use the phone like usual." I added, and he relaxed further. "Although, it might help if you let me know what's so difficult. Maybe I could-"

"It's not something you can help. Really. It's your scent. It's too… appealing." I nodded slowly. It sounded like he wanted to eat me or something. That limited the number of things he could be considerably. Eh, it wasn't like he was actually going to do it. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, you're taking steps to lower the risk of you… doing whatever, so it's not really that bad." I said. "Just don't dump me over it. If we stop this… whatever this is, it should be over something that actually warrants it. Cell phones exist for a reason, Eddy."

"I suppose you're right. I'm having too much fun with you." Edward stared down at the corner of the table. I smiled.

"Same here. Now, uh… Mike's getting a group together to go to La Push. Wanna come?" I kept my focus on our still intertwined hands. Edward's hand tightened.

"I can't. We're not really welcome over there."

"Oh."

"But, we could do something else… on Sunday." Edward pulled his hand away. He had a deep frown on his face.

"Sure, what…" I started, but the bell rang. Edward picked up my tray, taking it up and dumping it for me. He flashed back to our table.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said, packing up his things.

"Aren't you coming to Bio?"

"No, I'm ditching. I'm… Today is a very good day to skip." Edward said, leaving me the second we exited the cafeteria. I sighed and ran to catch up with Angela.

Mr. Banner was passing out some packets when I sat down in my seat. I turned and stared at the empty spot next to me, wondering what made Edward so upset. I didn't notice until a packet was set in front of me that there were needles in the bags, though I was sure Mr. Banner was talking about them.

"Now, what we're doing today, class, is blood typing. Mike, please come up here so I can show the class what to do." Mr. Banner said. Already I felt that Edward maybe had the right idea. My stomach churned as Mr. Banner put on his latex gloves. My hand went to my mouth when he pierced Mike's finger with one of the needle-things. I stood up and ran outside, gagging. Angela came out a minute later to find me dry heaving.

"Are you okay?" She asked. I shook my head. "Was it the needle?"

I nodded, letting her help me up. She rubbed my back and let me lean on her as she helped me towards the nurse's office in the Admin building. I felt dizzy, and I stumbled, nearly tripping us both, but a cold hand grabbed my belt loop and kept me from falling further.

"Don't worry, Miss Weber, I can take him from here."

Angela giggled, patting my shoulder and telling me she hoped I'd feel better. I sighed when she left.

"I thought you were mad at me."

"Not enough to let you fall to your death when you're ill." Edward said, shifting himself around and scooping me up… princess-style. I crossed my arms and scowled at him. He smirked down, humor visible in his faded brown-gold eyes. I rested my head on his shoulder when he took a step and I got dizzy. "So, was it the needles or the blood?"

"Needles. I don't mind the blood so much, but I've been scared shitless by needles since I was little. I caught a really bad case of the flu." I closed my eyes. "So, what happened to your specialness needing space?"

"I was in my car when I came to the conclusion that you were right. It _is_ easier to be around you now than that first day. I think desensitizing myself to your scent might be worth trying." Edward said, squeezing me gently. "If that's okay with you?"

"As long you don't start carrying me around when I'm not dizzy."

"But… this is nice. You're not that heavy."

"But I'm not a girl!" I protested. He chuckled at me, before dropping me on something soft. I opened my eyes to see I was in the nurse's office.

"Feeling better?" Edward asked.

"Yeah…"

"Good." He said, sitting down on the cot beside me, and laid his hand on my forehead. The cold was comforting.

"Hey, what got you upset earlier?"

"Nothing. I just… got kind of used to monopolizing you outside of school." Edward smiled sheepishly. I smiled back.

"Well, you can have me all day Sunday." I promised. He nodded.

"Also, I didn't want to be near the needles either." Edward said, and I giggled. "I can't believe Banner just sprung that on everyone."

"I know! I'd have stayed home today if I'd known." I said. The nurse came in, giving Edward this look before she took a seat at her desk.

"Okay, what happened?" She asked.

"Mr. Banner is doing blood typing." Edward answered for me. The nurse shook her head.

"There's always one person that has trouble." The nurse said. She shoo'd Edward to the other side of the room, before she started checking me out. "You seem like you're fine."

"Yeah, it was an adverse reaction to the needles." The nurse chuckled.

"It's refreshing to have a young man admit when he's got a phobia." She smiled at me. I stared down at my feet awkwardly. "Well, you can rest here a bit if you want, or you can go back to class."

"I'm feeling fine. I think I'll go back to class now." I stood up and said goodbye to the nurse. Edward walked with me to the front office and looked me over. "What?"

"You do not look like you're feeling much better."

"I'm fine."

"No, you aren't. You're still walking awkwardly." I looked down at my feet to see what he was talking about, but he seemed to take that as me agreeing. He pulled me to the front desk. He flashed a brilliant smile at Ms. Cope, the nice secretary from my first day. "Ms. Cope? Callisto fainted in Bio and he has Gym next and I'm afraid he'll pass out again. May I please take him home?"

I saw him bat his eyes at her and pout just so. I groaned. This was too much. My prudish… Edward was flat out seducing this woman. He must've worked my groan to his advantage because a moment later I found myself pulled towards his car.

"What was _that_, Eddy?" I asked, standing outside of his Volvo.

"What was what?" He sounded confused.

"What did you do to that poor woman?" I started trying to shuffle us toward my truck. "And, when did you learn to do _that?_"

"What are you talking about? I simply asked her to let me take you home. Also, not your truck. I'm driving." Edward started pulling me towards his car. "You could get dizzy and wreck and die."

"You can drive _my truck_. One of your brothers or sisters can drive your car, but my truck isn't gonna get home otherwise." I said, pulling him towards my truck. "Or, you can let me drive myself home."

"What if I have Alice drive your truck home?" Edward asked. I shook my head. "Why not?"

"I don't know how she drives. I know how you drive, and I trust you not to crash me or my car into a tree." I said, continuing to tug him to my truck. "You or me, Eddy. No one else is touching my truck."

"Fine…" Edward pouted, letting go of me to slip his keys behind the driver's side tire. I unlocked my truck and scooted to the passenger's seat. In just a minute, Edward was driving my truck out of the school lot. "So, is your father home?"

"No, he's off fighting crime." I said. "Wanna hang out a bit?"

"Mmm, depends. What does hanging out mean?" Edward asked. I smiled at him.

"You know, TV, couch, sitting next to each other, talking…"

"Just talking?"

"Well, if you want to do other stuff, I'm game." I said, glancing over to see his reaction to that. His expression didn't change.

"Do you have board games? Like… chess?" Edward asked. I let out a small chuckle and nodded.

"Yeah, I think I remember seeing a chess set in the hall closet." I said. Edward smiled, parking the car. I just noticed that we were already at my house. "How... Ah, yeah, come on, I can bake cookies if you want some."

We got out and started towards the door. "Hm, do you dress properly when you bake?"

"Hunh?" I unlocked the door, and we went inside.

"You know, an apron? It's not good to bake without one. You'll get stuff all over you." He said. There wasn't even cutesy teasing in his voice – he was actually… I shook my head.

"I've got one, but I don't usually use it." I said, heading over to the kitchen to get a pop. "Want something to drink?"

"No, but I wouldn't mind a tour of the house." He said, slipping up behind me. I nearly dropped my soda.

"R-right. Well, this is the kitchen and the part beyond the island is the living room." I lead him up the stairs. "Bathroom is there, that's Dad's room – off limits, and this… uh, this is me."

We were in my room, and Edward plopped himself on my bed. I sat beside him, staring at my dirty clothes on the floor and wishing I'd picked up a bit. Well, it wasn't like I'd been expecting company. Edward touched my shoulder.

"Callisto… What is your mother like?" He asked, seeming to change his question halfway. I looked at him.

"Well, she's nice and kind, a little scatterbrained, but patient." I smiled just thinking about her. Edward nodded. "What was yours like?"

"Honestly, I can't remember her that well, but Esme is great, almost like she really is my mom. Carlisle, too." He said, laying his head on my shoulder. It was as cold at his hands. "Do you miss Arizona?"

"I don't know. I didn't have many friends there, and I'm, uh, enjoying the cold… weather. Yeah, the weather." I drummed my fingers on my knee. "So…"

"So?"

"I don't know." I said, feeling silly. Edward laughed quietly.

"Care to play chess now?" He asked, raising his head. I nodded, standing up and opening my closet. I dug the set out from under some other games on the top shelf, causing a few to fall out and bang my head. Edward laughed at me before picking up the fallen games. "Are you okay?"

"Happens all the time!" I shoved the games back on the shelf. Edward shook his head at me.

"It wouldn't if you organized this better. Here, I can help you." Edward said, and, without warning, he pulled out everything on that top shelf and dropped it on my bed. I scowled at him, but he ignored me, sorting the stuff by size and shape. In minutes, he had everything stuffed back, but… There was extra room. _Damnit._ Edward looked at me expectantly. "We could clean your room."

"I thought you wanted to play chess?"

"Well, I need to be sure your room won't kill you when I leave. That would be most unfortunate. I happen to like you…r company." Edward said. I picked up the chess box.

"I'll clean up later. Let's go downstairs and play, so you can like my company some more." Inwardly, I groaned at how stupid that sounded, but Edward followed me downstairs without complaint.

We played for an hour, him beating me. I might have let him win. Too soon there was a beep from the horn of his stupid Volvo, and he had to leave. He hugged me moment too long to just be friendly before he left.

I still had my nightmare that night.


	6. Scary Stories

A/N: I blame Jacob for my lateness.

**6. Scary Stories**

The next day, Thursday, really… sucked. Several different people mocked me all morning over the incident in Bio. Then, Edward cancelled our plans for Sunday and told me that he wasn't going to be at school the next day during lunch. Jessica called that evening to tell me that Lauren had gotten sick, so our Port Angeles trip was postponed until Tuesday. And! Dad worked a second late shift in a row. I ended up going to bed early to make Friday get here faster.

Friday was much better. Mike was jazzed about the La Push trip, and his enthusiasm was infectious, spreading to Jessica, then Angela, and so on. By the end of the day, I was pretty jazzed myself. When I got home, I decided to bake cookies and stuff that evening to take with us. Dad helped me – we got into a flour-fight halfway through.

"Cal, you've gone gray." Dad laughed at me while we waited on the last batch to finish baking. I was covered from head to toe in the white powder. Dad wasn't much better, but he's taller than I am, so there wasn't much in his hair. I stuck my tongue out at him. "Go up and get a shower. I'll get started on clean-up."

"Okay. Thanks, Dad." I ran up the stairs, tripping on the third-to-last and sliding down three steps. My knee hit really hard. "Fuh! Ow!"

"Cal, are you okay?" Dad was already at the bottom of the steps. I nodded, pushing myself up to stand. "You need ice?"

"Nah, I think I'm fine." I said, stepping more slowly up the stairs. Dad went back over to the kitchen, and I hobbled down the hall to the bathroom. I could hear Dad flip on the TV as I yanked a towel out of the closet. Before I turned on the water, I heard the Wheel of Fortune theme start, so I rushed my shower.

Fully cleaned and clothed, I rushed down in time for Jeopardy, my favorite game show. Dad had the kitchen cleaned up already and was taking the last batch of cookies out of the oven. We each got a plateful and a glass of milk before settling in on the couch and watching TV until it got late and we went to bed.

I didn't have my nightmare that night, so I woke up feeling thoroughly well-rested in time for the trip. The sun was really out – there was absolutely no cloud cover at all. Everything seemed perfect for a day at the beach. I packed up everything and drove over to Mike's parents' store, where everyone else was already waiting.

"Sorry I'm late, but… I brought cookies!" Eric took my tins and put them in the back of Tyler's new car. Jessica and Angela were sitting on the hood of Mike's car, giggling over something. Mike was arguing with Tyler and Ben over which route was fastest. A couple of other people I didn't really know were standing around, talking. I hopped up next to the girls. "So, ladies, what's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just something silly from Geography yesterday." Angela said, sharing a look with Jessica. The two of them burst into giggles. "Sorry, that was…"

"Okay, so what's going on with you and Edward, hmm?" Jessica asked with a smirk. I looked over at Tyler's car. Angela patted my shoulder.

"Not much. Mostly talking, and it's been heavily implied that we're… something. I don't know." I looked back at the girls, who were frowning.

"So, like, he's not tried _anything_?" Jessica crossed her arms. "Mike and I are already official and doing things."

"Same with Ben and me." Angela added. I shook my head.

"We have a date planned for the same time as the, er, dance." I told them. I leaned back against the windshield. "We're not going to the actual dance, though. I have no idea what he wants to do, but… Well, if things are going to go anywhere, I'll probably have to take the lead. He's obviously too new at this."

The girls nodded sympathetically, and I smiled. "Of course, that's nice, too. Every other guy I've dated have been… well, not so new, and not in a good way, either."

Shortly after that, we loaded up to head out. I slid in the back seat of Mike's car between Eric and Ben. Mike, Jessica, and Angela all mashed in the front. That was my favorite thing about Mike's car, it had three seats in front like the car Mom had until I turned ten. As we pulled out, Jessica fiddled with the radio, and I tried to find a comfortable position.

"Hey, Cal, have you considered joining our baseball team this spring?" Eric asked, twisting away a little to give me some room. I shook my head.

"No way, man. I'm a failure at sports." I said. Mike laughed from up front.

"Failure doesn't even begin to cover it." I rolled my eyes at him, laughing along.

The rest of the ride was nice, banter-filled and never silent. An hour later, we arrived to find that there were already some guys there. One younger guy ran up to me and hugged me without even a warning, black hair getting into my eyes. He pulled back and looked up at me with his big, brown eyes and a toothy grin.

"Hey, Cal, remember me?" He asked. I smiled without even thinking about it.

"Jake? Man, it's been too long!" I said before hugging him back. "You're still shorter than me, I see."

"Not even!" Jacob playfully pushed me off. I turned back to look at my friends, who were all giving me confused looks.

"Oh, guys, this is Jacob Black. He's one of my dad's best friend's son, and we've known each other since we were like… uh… Let's see… I think I was present for your birth, wasn't I?" I glanced at Jacob, who shook his head.

"No, that was Seth. We were both there. You were around when I broke my leg, though. You gave me ice cream."

"Well, it _was_ kinda my fault. I'm the one that dared you to climb that tree."

"But I had almost gotten you drowned the week before."

"No, that was Becca's fault. She pushed you in when you didn't know how to—" Mike cut me off by clearing his throat.

"Hate to break up your love-fest, but we need you, Cal." Mike said, holding a cooler out at me. I took it. "And, Jacob, you and your friends can hang out with us, too."

"Awesome! We've got some burgers and stuff." Jacob said, leading us over to the spot the other guys were at. "Oi! Quil, Embry, Sam, look who it is!"

"Whoa, Cal? You got old!" Sam ruffled my hair. I shook him off, sticking my tongue out at him.

"If I'm old, Sammy, you're ancient!" I teased, setting the cooler down and plopping on the sand next to it. These guys I knew well. In fact, I'd probably spent more of my time in La Push than in Forks. Sure, I mixed up the older people, but the guys my age were my friends.

Once everything was unpacked, everyone scattered to do whatever they wanted. Sam took a few people up to check out the tidal pools, and Mike took a few others to get some driftwood for later. Jacob and I walked along the beach, catching up.

"I was so pissed when your mom stopped letting you come up. No one here cares if you're different – you're family!" Jacob exclaimed. I nodded, kicking some sand.

"It wasn't La Push she was concerned with. I think she underestimated how much of my trip was spent at your house." I said. Jacob swung his arm around my shoulder. "Of course, I'm back now, so we can hang out again!"

"Yeah! Come spend every weekend with me – my sisters are all moved out and everything, so they won't bug us and stuff!" Jacob grinned at me. I shook my head, smiling.

"Can't. My… that guy… wants some time, too. Maybe every other weekend… and you could come stay with me, too. We're old enough that Dad and Uncle Billy should let us even if Dad's out, right?"

"Your 'that guy'? You've been in Forks not even two months and you already have a boyfriend? Who? Is it that guy with the glasses? I don't like him. He's too… I don't know." Jacob rambled. I shook my head, looking out at the ocean as we stopped moving.

"No, Eric's just my friend. The 'that guy' is Edward Cullen, and… I don't know. It's working, whatever it is we've got." Jacob frowned at me.

"Well, the Cullens aren't allowed on the Rez. So, that means I can't meet this Edward guy and judge him." I furrowed my brows.

"Edward said the same thing. Why is that?" I asked. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"Because of the stupid legends Dad buys into. Like, that we, the Quileutes, are descended from wolves, and that's why it's illegal to kill them on the Rez. You know, the bedtime stories Dad told us when you slept over." Jacob pulled his arm back to punch my shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, but I don't remember anything about the Cullens." I said, sitting down at the edge of the water. Jacob joined me.

"It's the legends about the _cold ones_, blood-drinkers… er, vampires." Jacob laughed, picking up a small rock and tossing it out at the water. "Supposedly, my great-grandfather made a treaty with this group that drank from animals instead of humans. If they stayed away from us, our _wolf warriors_ wouldn't kill them. Stupid, hunh?"

"Nah, sounds like a neat fairy tale. So, the Cullens are, what, seventy years older than they look? That's crazy." I said, while thinking, "_As crazy as a guy crushing a truck after flying across the freaking parking lot."_

"Yeah, but my dad believes it, so… well, they can't come here." Jacob said. Then he laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell him you're dating a vampire."

"How can he think that they're vampires anyway? Dr. Cullen works around bloody people all day. Like my dad when you shot him!" I smirked over at him, teasing.

"That was an accident! I didn't mean too, I swear!" Jacob pouted. I grabbed him and ground my knuckles into his hair. "Hey, stop!"

"Sure, Jake, sure." I said, letting go. Jacob sighed, so I punched his shoulder. "Well, it smells like the food is ready."

"Good! I'm starving!" Jacob jumped up and started running over to the campfire. I followed, just as hungry.

Everyone sat down in a big circle around the fire to eat. Mike was on one side of me, Jacob on the other. We had hamburgers and chips and Coke and cookies. Sam started telling scary stories, and Eric played some acoustic music on his laptop. The fire was pretty, regular orange-red with green and yellow flitting inside. The rest of the day passed like that, until it got really late and those of us from Forks headed home.

When I got home, Dad and I finished off the last of the cookies before I went to shower and go to bed. I thought about Edward being a vampire. I supposed it could work – it was just as valid as any other explanation for his "special-ness" anyway. I fell asleep tightly under my covers, rolling my eyes over how easily I accepted it as plausible.

That night, I woke up ice cold after my nightmare. My blanket wasn't in my room.


	7. Nightmare

****This chapter is short, but... it was pointless in the actual book. Really. Could have been combined with the one before or the one after. Totally unnecessary. Next chapter will be loads better because Eddy comes back onto the scene!

* * *

**7. Nightmare**

I stayed awake. First thing I did was look for my blanket, figuring it must have fallen under the bed or something, but it wasn't anywhere. I went into my closet and yanked out my robe, then sat down at my desk. It was weird and a little spooky, but there had to be a reasonable explanation. My room was on the second floor, and my window was still shut. I didn't hear anything, and nothing else was stolen, so it probably wasn't a break-in. _Unless…_ Still, I figured I should tell Dad about it when he woke up in a couple hours. I wasn't sleeping anymore tonight.

I booted up my computer and opened the net. I ran a search for vampires in Google and clicked on a few links. Except for a couple things, every myth I touched on had at least one thing that matched up with what I knew about Edward. Cold, pale-skinned, fast, strong, and feeds on human blood, the last of which worked for Edward's being unable to be physically close to me most of the time. I sat there, staring at the computer, as pieces started filling-in in my mind. I started breathing a little heavy.

"Okay. Okay. Edward. Right," I rambled a bit to myself, "Edward is a vampire. He's probably the one that stole my blanket. Okay… maybe, maybe it has to do with desensitizing himself to my smell?"

I closed my eyes and banged my desk. "If that's the case, why not wake me up and ask me?"

I sighed and stared at my computer monitor. A quote stood out to me on an old webpage for a book by the newly deceased author Jeremy Reynolds:

_Vampires like Eros can become stronger than their bloodlust if they fall for a human. Well, control it with that person. Other people are still fair game._

I'd be lying if I said that that didn't give me a little confidence that Edward and I could potentially make this work. If, of course, I could get him to understand that he couldn't just break into my house and steal my stuff; that was a deal breaker, as was murdering other people. I slumped in the chair.

"Damn it! What the hell, Ed?" I glared at my window, anger rising. I stalked over and flung open the window, sticking my head out. "Edward Cullen is a dumbass!"

There was no answer.

I spent Sunday cleaning up the house and doing homework to get my mind off of what I would have to do about Edward. On one hand, I liked him a lot. He listened to me, treated me better than most of the… all of the guys I dated in Phoenix, and he actually cared about me. We had fun together. But - and it was a very big but – if he broke into my house and stole my stuff… and what if this wasn't the first time he'd broke in? That was scary. And, what if he really was a vampire? Could I deal with a relationship where one half was immortal and always seventeen? Would I have to be turned into one, too? Was that the reason that the other Cullens were wary of me being with Edward? My head hurt.

I wished I could talk to Dad about it, but I'd dozed off in my computer chair before he'd gotten up and in the light of day it seemed stupid. Plus, as the Chief of Police, Dad might be honor-bound to deal with man-eating, supernatural creatures, and that could end badly for everyone involved. Besides, Dr. Cullen works around blood all the time, so maybe they were some other something.

Monday came and went agonizingly slow. Edward wasn't there nor would he text me back. It was sunny, so there was another tally in the "Edward is a vampire" column. I tried sitting outside and reading after school while waiting for Edward to return my texts, but that ended when I fell asleep on the grass. I woke up alone in my room. Dad wasn't home yet, so there was no way he moved me. I tried to convince myself it was just sleepwalking.

"I totally walked up here by myself. Yeah, I just don't remember because I was half-asleep. I'm not… I'm not being… I'm just paranoid is all." I repeated to myself, trying to calm myself as I fixed Mac-n-Cheese. "Yeah. I have no proof it was Edward, anyway. He's out of town with his family."

It didn't sound convincing.

Tuesday started off just as badly. Edward wasn't there, so I couldn't ask him where he'd been on Saturday night. Or Monday afternoon. Jessica noticed I didn't look well and asked me at lunch if I wanted to skip out on Port Angeles.

"No, no, no. I really need to get out of my house. You have no _idea_ how much I need a night out." I told her. Angela patted my shoulder. "I just haven't been able to sleep lately. No worries."

"Are you sure?" Angela's eyes were full of concern. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

As soon as I got home, I changed into a dark red tee and some black pants. I pulled on a black zip-up hoodie before examining myself in the bathroom mirror. I could see why the girls had been worried. My eyes were bloodshot from stress and there were deep bruise-colored bags underneath, making the blue irises darker than normal. I shook my head at my corpse-like appearance and went downstairs. An hour later, the girls arrived in Jessica's white Mercury, and I climbed into the back next to Lauren.

"Hey, ladies." I said cheerily, beyond glad to get going. Lauren leaned against my shoulder, her long, blonde hair tickling my neck.

"Cal, we were just saying how much you must be missing Edward since he's been out." Lauren gave me a sympathetic smile. My stomach twisted in knots.

"Well, I wouldn't be, but he refuses to text me back and I don't know why." I looked out the window.

"Maybe there's bad reception where he's camping?" Angela suggested as she fiddled with the radio.

"Maybe…" I replied. I wrapped an arm around Lauren's shoulders as Angela settled on a pop station. We drove off, ready to get shopping.


	8. Port Angeles

Wow, this took a while... Midterms and my birthday were kind of distracting. I have essays I should be writing, but... eh. This was more fun. Longest chapter to date!

* * *

**8. Port Angeles**

We made great time to the city, and, with every mile we placed between ourselves and Forks, my stomach untwisted and I relaxed further. When Jessica parked the car in the lot beside a department store, I was the first to get out, and I stretched my legs, cracked my back, and let out a sigh of relief that there were miles between me and any weirdness. Lauren shot me a confused look, and Jessica and Angela frowned at me. I laughed, before yelling, "Okay, ladies, who's ready to shop?"

The four of us went inside and headed to the juniors' section. The girls kept shooting me concerned looks, until we reached the dresses and I asked, "What?"

"Are you okay? You seem a little… edgy." Lauren said, looking directly at me. I exhaled slowly.

"Honestly? No, I'm not okay." I replied while flipping through a few dresses until I found a nice royal blue one that I thought might look nice on Lauren.

"Is it Edward?" Angela asked as I held the dress up to Lauren.

"I don't know. I think so. I… I hope it isn't." My voice wavered, and I turned back to the dresses, to see if there was something else that would work, something purple or green.

"Either it is or it isn't, Cal. Now fess up. What's going on?" Lauren pulled on my arm to make me look at her. Both she and Jessica wore matching, no-nonsense looks on their faces. I looked at Angela, and her concern was overpowering.

"You want to know? Fine. Some of my stuff has gone missing, and I fell asleep in my yard but woke in my room and Dad wasn't home. I've been having nightmares since I got here. Edward won't text me back. And, I just don't want to think about it right now, so can we _please_ just find you all the most perfect dresses imaginable so your dates feel like the luckiest sons of bitches on the planet?" I stalked off to the next dress display. "Please?"

"Cal…" Angela hugged me from behind. I gripped the dress in front of me.

"Hey, I'm… I'm going to go find a bookstore or something. You guys have fun. I'm sorry for killing the mood." I said, pulling away and heading out. The girls called for me, but I kept going. I left the store and headed down the street, pulling my phone out as went. Edward still hadn't texted me, and I was starting to feel a bit pathetic, wanting him to so badly. I started typing yet another one.

_Come on, please. I know campsites have poor reception and all, but… I miss you._

I hesitated before sending it.

It wasn't long until I reached a hippie bookshop and went in. The guy behind the register jerked his head in greeting and I nodded in response. The shelves were filled with books about fairy lore and paganism, though towards the back I found a few on werewolf lore. There was a single book about vampires, and that was all it took for my stomach to clench up and make me check my phone again. No messages from Edward. I picked up the book and sat down behind the shelf to read.

It was a few hours later that the cashier finally made me pay for the book and leave. The sky had grown dark and I could barely recognize the buildings to figure out how to get back to the girls. I passed a bar as I hurried through a poorly lit street, and then I turned down an alley that I was sure connected to the road with the shopping center. It didn't take long to realize that I wasn't alone. A large group of drunks were following me.

"Hey you!" One of them called out. I hurried my pace. "Come back here!"

I sucked in a breath, speeding my pace even more. There had to be seven guys at least, so getting into a fight would end badly for me. Unfortunately, the alley didn't lead where I thought it did. There was a wide, unlit parking lot with buildings on all but one side. And, that end was far from me. I ran for it, hoping that the men were too drunk to catch up. All at once, the pavement met my face as something struck me from behind. I scrambled away, turning my head to see one of them looming over me. I kicked up at him and tried to crawl away, but a second one grabbed my legs. I thrashed wildly, barely managing to get free. I stumbled to my feet and ran madly towards the exit. Suddenly, there was a blinding light heading for me and squealing tires. A very welcome and familiar silver Volvo skidded to a stop in front of me.

"Cal, get in here, now." Edward growled. I ran around to the passenger side and flung the door open. The second I was inside, Edward took off. He didn't even wait until I'd shut the door, causing it to slam. "Seat belt."

I did as he said, fastening it before sinking into the seat. A glance at him told me he was furious. "Eddy?"

"Callie?" Even Edward's voice radiated hostility.

"Hey, babe, it's okay now." I soothed, patting his shoulder as gently as I could with my arms shaking.

"No, it's not. They wanted to…" Edward broke off, gripping the wheel harder. I could hear a small cracking noise.

"Yeah, I'm sure they did. But, it's okay. I'm fine. You showed up just in time. Plus, I'm pretty good at flailing and running. I'm like a rabbit or something…" I prattled. Edward let go of the wheel with one hand and rested it on my knee.

"Please don't stop. It's helping. Please, I need to calm down or I'll go back there and hunt those drunkards down until every last one is…" Edward said. I started laughing. "What?!"

"I'm sorry. The idea of you chasing them down is funny. Or, maybe it's shock, but I feel fine. I think. Just calm down, okay?" I rambled, trying to stop laughing. We stayed quiet a few minutes, then Edward pulled into the lot of the store from earlier.

"Where are the girls at?" Edward asked. I looked down at my phone and flipped through my texts until I found a new one from Angela telling me the name of the restaurant they'd gone to. I told Edward, and he drove off again.

"Oh, yeah. Why are you here, anyway? You're supposed to be camping." I scowled at him. Edward shrugged.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! Were you the one that broke into my room?" He smiled at the accusation.

"I was. I like watching you sleep. I can't do it anymore, and you talk sometimes. And, it helps me stay in control if I'm always smelling you. Why?" I stared at him. "Really, Cal, what's wrong with it?"

"You didn't have my permission! And, I've been having nightmares for… You touch me when you're over there! That's the cold thing that keeps waking me… Edward! Frack man, do you watch me when I'm getting… And it was you! You carried me up to my room and… I thought I was going crazy!" I hit the dash to show him how pissed off I was. "Damnit, Edward! And you just let me worry and panic and… that's not okay, Edward."

"Pl… please stop using my name like that." Edward asked, pulling over. I rolled my eyes.

"Like what?"

"Like it's a curse word… I don't really like that." Edward stared down at his hands, and I sighed.

"I don't really like my privacy invaded. Eddy, I thought I was going insane. And, you wouldn't reply to any of my texts and… God, Eddy, I can't… That's the kind of behavior that leads to someone sending a decapitated cat head in the mail." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Really, Edward, what the hell?"

"I didn't watch you when you were indecent. I'm not a peeking Tom. I just… I just needed to make sure you were safe and then I just like watching you sleep. I only touched your face because your hair would fall into your eyes and I… I'm sorry if I scared you, but… Is it wrong to want to be around you all the time?" Edward looked over at me, pouting and looking every bit like a kicked puppy. I glared at him. "Honestly, Cal, I don't know. I've never felt like this before."

He bit his lip, head lowering, and, with anyone else, I'd have thought it was just an act. He wrapped his arms around himself, crumbing my resolve. I'd missed him too much. I reached out and pulled him close, his head resting under mine.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be around each other, but Eddy, you can't stalk me. That's not cool, and it's not good for either of us." I patted his back, and he whimpered. "Eddy?"

"Sorry, you smell too good." Edward mumbled, pulling away. He gripped my hands, though. "I don't understand, though. I mean, if you…"

"I'll show you why it's bad later. Dad's got videos with excellent examples, so we'll watch a few. Okay?" I said, cutting him off. Edward nodded. "So, why haven't you been at school if you weren't camping?"

"I was hiking on Friday." Edward turned back to the wheel and pulled back onto the road. "Then, I was busy this weekend and…"

He trailed off, and we sat in silence for a few minutes until Edward pulled over into the parking lot of the restaurant where the girls were. I got out and went around to his side. He rolled his window down.

"Can I come with you?" He asked timidly. I nodded, and we went inside. The girls were seated in the far corner, talking quietly. Edward and I went over and squeezed into the booth next to Angela.

"Cal, what happened? We were so worried about you. Did you get… Why's Edward with you?" Jessica asked, looking between us. Lauren fixed Edward a mean look, and Angela leaned forward to look past me. I chuckled nervously as I recalled my outburst before.

"It… well, he got my texts after all." I said, strumming my fingers on the table. "So, food, right, what's everyone getting?"

"Actually, Cal, we kinda already finished. Sorry, you were taking so long, and well, we were hungry." Lauren shrugged with an apologetic smile on her face. "But, we'll wait for you. I bet you're starving. What kept you?"

"I got lost. Probably should have asked the hippie for directions, but whatever. Sorry for holding you up." I looked down at the menu, trying to find something that looked good. Edward coughed beside me.

"Um, if you've already eaten, I can take Cal home. I'm sure you have better stuff to do than watch him eat." He suggested. I kept my eyes on the menu, trying to decide if I wanted the mushroom ravioli or the rib-eye steak.

"No. We're good." Jessica said. I looked up at the ice in her tone. All three of them were glaring daggers at Edward.

"Thanks, girls, but it's okay now." I smiled at them, happy that they cared so much. Angela bit her lip and looked at me with her wide brown eyes. Jessica and Lauren didn't stop their glaring.

"Cal, you seemed really upset and freaked out earlier. Are you sure everything is okay?" The concern in her voice made me feel warm inside. I nodded.

"Yeah, I promise. If I get freaked again, I'll tell my dad." I leaned over and kissed her cheek, making her giggle.

"Okay, fine. We'll let you have your date, but, Edward, I'm watching you. I hear all the gossip and if I get one hint that you're doing something to Cal, you don't want to know what will happen. You got me?" Jessica threatened. Lauren nodded in agreement. "And, I'm going to tell Mike to watch you, too."

"Jess! It's okay. Honest! I got this. Okay? You three go home and get your beauty sleep so you look fantastic tomorrow, and Mike, Tyler, and Ben all have nonfatal heart attacks at the sight of you." I smiled at her. She rolled her eyes at me, before standing up. They left, and Edward moved to sit across from me. "So, what are you getting?"

"I don't eat."

"Ever?"

"Yes." Edward fiddled his thumbs. I reached over and flicked his hand. He looked at me.

"So, is that why you always watch me when I do?" I asked. Edward nodded.

"I like watching you do the things I can't." He answered. A blonde waitress showed up and asked for our drink order.

"I want a coke." I said, and Edward ordered a second one. After the waitress left, I asked, "Is that one also for me?"

"…yeah." Edward said, and I really looked him over. He was a little paler than he normally was, which was saying something because he was always as white as a sheet, and his eyes were brighter than normal, definitely yellow. Well, amber-yellow, but this time there was no hint of brown.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, taking in his fidgeting. Edward shook his head.

"I think I'm scared." He answered, fiddling with a napkin. I quirked a brow in question. "I mean, I like this 'us' thing, but there're things about me and my specialness that you don't know and if you do know you won't want this 'us' thing to keep going. I don't know the right rules for these kinds of things, so I've already made some error that I don't get and I… I know I said you should stay away from me, but I don't want you to leave."

I shook my head. "Eddy, I think I've got that special thing figured out, and I can let you come out with the details when you're ready as long as you answer this question – in the past…"

I broke off when the waitress came back with the cokes. She set them down and asked if we were ready to order, giving Edward an extra big smile. He didn't notice, too busy staring at me with wide, fearful eyes. I ordered two medium-rare rib-eye steak dinners with fries, knowing that only one would be eaten, but wanting to hurry the lady along so Edward and I could keep talking. Besides, I could just take it home to Dad. When she left, I continued.

"In the last ten years, have you, you know, eaten anyone?" Edward shook his head. "Then we can worry about your…vamp… er… specialness later, okay?"

"Thank you. How did you figure it out?" Edward asked, fiddling with his straw. I drank some of my coke before answering.

"We told scary stories at the beach. Everything kind of clicked. Then you stole my blanket and I couldn't sleep, so I looked stuff up online." I said. Edward strummed the table like I had earlier. "I'll go over the dos and don'ts of dating when we watch that video, but the big thing you need to know is that if you're watching me sleep, I need to know you're there. And, no stealing my blanket. Seriously. I was freezing."

"I… You looked awful and I'd missed you and I just wanted to give you a hug, but you started waking up and I panicked. It wasn't on purpose." Edward started tearing his napkin up. I laughed quietly.

"See, that right there is why you need to let me know. I don't have problems with you doing it, since you said you can't sleep, but not letting me know makes it creepy." I said. Edward started arranging the paper pieces into shapes. "So, you know now and you won't do it again, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. So… someone with your… specialness, what draws them to someone regular like me? I know you said scent, but was there something else?" I asked. Edward smiled up at me.

"I read minds. Surface thoughts, really, but some minds draw me in further." He said. "But, there's one mind I can't read, only one I've _ever_ been able to not read. That's yours."

"Really? Hunh. Guess that means it's meant to be or something stupid like that." I grinned at him. Edward nodded.

"I think so. I mean, your dad's mind isn't as detailed for me as most people, but then yours is completely blank. I can't hear or see or feel anything coming from you at all." Edward continued. "It's been so long since someone's been a mystery to me. And who lets me win at chess."

"Ah, how did you know?"

"You eyed my bishop before you moved your queen." Edward said.

"Is that what they call it these days?" I teased, but Edward just furrowed his brows.

"I don't get it. Did they call the bishop anything else?"

I shook my head, fighting the urge to laugh as the waitress came back and set our plates down. Everything smelled delicious, and I dug in immediately. Between bites, I told him, "It's another joke like the banana one. Don't worry about it."

"I had Emmett explain that to me. It was very dirty and made me feel naughty once I got it." Edward said, looking down at the food and picking up a French fry to fiddle with. I was sure that if he were a human he'd be as red as a tomato, judging by his tone. "I think I'll skip asking what that one meant."

"Geez, and here I thought vampirism was already a metaphor for sex." I replied. Edward's head shot up. "Calm down, Edward. I know when my comedic genius isn't appreciated."

"I just don't care for that kind of… talk." He said, giving me a puppy dog stare. I shook my head in disbelief.

"I just can't believe this. How do you even exist?" I asked, before taking another bite. Edward shrugged.

"I'm not sure how our… species came to be, but Carlisle is the one that turned me." Edward whispered. I laughed.

"Not that. No, you with your naïve mind and your inexperience and your… You're how old now, and you've never dated anyone before. How does that even happen with someone so… cotton candy-like?"

"I don't know. Tanya and the Alaskan coven all liked me well enough; I just don't like any of them like that. And, starting a relationship with someone seemed doomed to fail, so I didn't really want to try." Edward said.

"Why would it be doomed?"

"People can't really censor their thoughts all the time. Emmett thinks I'm some kind of freak a good portion of the time for, well, you said that so nicely… How much worse that would feel if I were more intimately bound to the person… It was just too hard to think about, so I just avoided that kind of relationship altogether." Edward replied, looking down at my plate. "I'm just glad that I actually like you, or, rather, what I get to see of you. It's difficult not knowing what you're thinking."

I reached over and took his icy hand in mine. "Well, that's a good thing. It would be pretty unfair if you got to know everything and I didn't."

Edward laughed softly. I continued, "So, Eddy, it seems we're in the middle of your first date. Want to do anything after I finish this up?"

"Hmm… Can we just drive around and talk some more? I haven't gotten to see you in so long." Edward bit his lip, looking shyly over at me. I nodded.

"Sounds good." I said, and we were quiet while I finished eating. When the waitress returned, I got a box for the other dinner and paid the bill. Then, the two of us went out to the Volvo.

"You should have let me pay." Edward whined as we got in the car.

"You weren't the one eating. Plus, this is your first date, making me the dude by default." I said, reaching over to pat his shoulder. "Everything is on me this time. Even the gas."

"But, I'm the one that drove here…" Edward pouted.

"Well, we'll go Dutch then. 50/50, okay?" I suggested. Edward shrugged and pulled out of the parking lot.


	9. Theory

Okay, so this deviates from the original more than the others did. Oh well, Cal is more forward than Bella, anyway.

**9. Theory**

Edward turned down a street with a gas station and a few shops that still had their lights on. He glanced at me for a couple seconds before turning his attention back on the road. "So, Cal, what do people normally talk about on dates?"

"Well, the first one usually has that awkward 'getting to know you' chitchat, stuff about the weather, stuff I think we've gone past. I know your favorite hobby is your piano, but you haven't played much the past two years. You know that I had a colony of seagulls attack me when Dad and I were at the beach the first time we went to California together." I fiddled with the radio while I spoke. Edward chuckled.

"You know that I'm a vampire, and I know you like watching Jeopardy with your dad."

"You idolize Dr. Cullen like I idolize my dad."

"You have issues with the fact that your mother got remarried even though you like Phil. I think I'm a monster even though I try not to kill people anymore and drink animal blood instead."

"And, you're jealous that Emmett and Jasper get along really well and leave you out when they do guy stuff. Even worse, you hate that Rosalie and Alice also leave you out when they do girly stuff, and you really hate that they go out on double dates because Carlisle and Esme sometimes join them." I tried to think of something of myself to pair with that, but Edward pulled over and stopped the car first.

"Yeah. The worst thing is that we've attended high school about a hundred times, and I've never had a date to the prom." Edward muttered at the steering wheel before he sighed. "They get all dressed up and giggle and it looks like such fun."

"Well, we could go… if you want." I reached over and grabbed his hand. Edward looked at me, biting his lower lip.

"Really? You'll still want to be with me then?" He asked with a tremor in his voice. I nodded.

"Yeah, I think I will. Unless you send me a decapitated cat head in the mail, of course." I chuckled, squeezing his hand. He smiled, squeezing back a little too hard. We sat there, smiling at each other stupidly for a few moments before Edward turned back to the steering wheel.

"So, I'm sure you have questions." He said. I shrugged. "Go ahead. I trust you."

"Well, do the others in your family have special… talents like yours?" I asked. He nodded.

"Alice sees the future, and Jasper can change moods." Edward said. "He can get people angry or calm them down or... whatever he wants."

"That's… a little scary."

"Well, once you're away from him, you go back to normal, and he doesn't do it often." Edward defended. I didn't know what to say to that.

"So, how old are you anyway?"

"Uh…" Edward looked out the window, tightening his grip on my hand. "Not so old that I would necessarily be dead. Just… one hundred and four. C-Carlisle is about four hundred and he and Esme have gotten on okay and she's only six years older than I am. I was turned before her though." Edward rambled. I laughed, squeezing his hand back.

"Edward, I figured you were older than me. You're a vampire. I just didn't want to find out later that you're super ancient. Actually, the fact that you're that old and this is your first date… kinda sexy." I admitted. Edward's eyes widened and his brows furrowed. "Come on, I'm the first person in a hundred years to get you interested. How is that not sexy? Bit of an ego boost, too."

"Please stop that…" Edward bit his lip again and looked down at the dashboard. I frowned, unsure of what was wrong.

"Stop what?"

"Talking about… you know. It makes me uncomfortable." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes, smile returning.

"Soo, Eddy's still a virgin?"

"Stop it. I know it's pathetic. Emmett's already said so." Edward pulled away, leaning against his door. I sighed.

"Edward, I'll stop making jokes, okay?" When he didn't respond, I added, "Besides, it's not pathetic. My first time was pathetic, and I bet Emmett's was, too, and that that's why he said that. Cause, you know, yours won't be pathetic and he's jealous."

He didn't move for a while and I didn't press him. We sat for several minutes in silence before Edward finally looked at me again. "Cal… I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, Eddie, that's fine. We don't have to, and I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to." I looked him over, and he nodded, started up the car, and pulled out. The air was tense, and I just leaned against the door. Edward turned onto a road heading out of town. As we headed down the highway, I started fidgeting, feeling inadequate. "Well, I really screwed up your first date."

"No… I did. I over-reacted. It's just… I truly do, you know. Feel pathetic. I'm older than you are – should I not be the one that knows and understands these things?"

"Stupid, I told you I like that you don't. Plus, it puts us on a more even footing, wouldn't you say?" I pointed out. Edward reached over for my hand again, and I took his and squeezed.

"It… It's just… It's probably going to be impossible for us to get past this hand-holding for a long time, let alone… _that_. When you were almost hit by that van, I was distracted enough to handle how tasty you smell, but, when you aren't in danger by things other than me, it's hard. I'm stronger than you are by so much, and I don't know anything about what to expect or how to deal with it. And, well, I really don't think this is the right time to do _that_. I know that's probably disappointing – I listen to Mike Newton or Ben Cheney, your friends, and they really want to do it with their girlfriends." Edward kept his eyes on the road while he talked. There was a moment of silence before I started laughing.

"Dude, seriously? You were getting all serious and… Ed, you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Would I like to sleep with you? Yes. Do I want to do it now, on our first date? No. Eddy, you're cotton candy. I've known that since the hospital. Even if you were completely human and normal it would take time to get there, and that's fine. Beyond fine. First high school boyfriend I had, we rushed, and, after it ended, I felt like shit. Second guy was very much an asshole. Third… well, let's never mention that guy. With you, _I_ want to take time to get there." I started stroking his thumb with mine, and he glanced at me quickly.

"You promise?" Edward pulled over to the side of the road again. I nodded. "Can… can we switch places? I want you to drive."

"Kay, Eddy." I unbuckled and got out of the car, and Edward slid over the seats. I ran around and got into the driver's side. He grabbed my hand as soon as I pulled out. We were quiet for a while, until Eddy's cool head rested on my shoulder. "What happened to my smell being too much?"

"I'm desensitizing myself to you. One breath every thirty seconds. I'll cut back to a minute if it gets hard." Edward murmured, snuggling his head in close. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making a joke about that, instead squeezing his hand again. We stayed quiet for the rest of the drive, him cuddling against me and me squeezing his hand. When I pulled in front of my house, Edward pulled away so I could get out, and I felt unnaturally hot without his coldness against me. "Um… is it all right if I come to your room tonight?"

He was staring down at his hands, looking so nervous that I just barely managed to not hug him. "Yeah, Eddy. Just wake me up if I'm sleeping so I know you're there."

"Thank you!" Edward smiled a crooked smile at me, all but hopping out his door. As I passed him to get in my house, Edward grabbed my arm. "See you."

With that, he was in his car and speeding off. I shook my head and went inside. _Crazy vampires._

Dad was sitting in his chair in front of the TV and I plopped the Styrofoam box that held the uneaten steak dinner on his lap. "Cal? What's this?"

"Dinner, if you haven't eaten yet." I flopped on the couch. "So, whatcha watching?"

"_Scrubs_. I like that doofy one's hair." Dad said as he opened up his dinner. "This looks good. Thanks."

I kicked my shoes off and settled in, figuring I had at least half an hour until Edward snuck in. Dad drummed his fingers like he always does when he's not sure how to say something. I looked over at him. "Yeah?"

"Well… How was shopping?"

"It was fine. Why?"

"Well, Jessica called fifteen minutes ago." Dad sounded angry, even though he didn't really look like it yet, and confused. "She said Edward Cullen was going to bring you home."

"He caught up with us, and we wanted to hang out a little."

"She said you left them and went to a bookstore across town by yourself."

"And? I went by myself to places all the time in Phoenix. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that you don't know your way in Port Angeles! What if you got lost?"

"I did get lost. But Edward and I ran into each other before anything happened, and if I'd gotten too lost I'd have just called Jessica or Angela or Lauren for directions."

"But… Look, I may just be cynical or old or whatever, but something bad could have happened. Honestly, I didn't like that Renee let you go off by yourself in a big city before, and yes, Port Angeles isn't that big, but…" Dad trailed off. He sighed, giving me this look like he wanted to wrap me in bubble wrap or something.

"Yeah, I know. Danger is behind every corner. Actually, I was almost beat up by a group of drunks, so you're not crazy. I didn't mean to stay at the bookstore that long, and honestly, I'm glad none of the girls were there." I admitted even though I knew it would just make him worry. I just needed him to know that I understood where he was coming from.

"You… you were what? Okay, that's it, changes. We need rule changes. No going out anywhere after dark. Or-"

"Dad, I'm fine. I could have gotten away fine on my own – they weren't that fast. And, Edward showed up and everything turned out just fine. Okay? Trust me, I've got no plans to be in that area a second time."

"Callie… This is the second time since you moved here that you could have died. Can you blame me for being worried?"

"No, Dad, I get it. Next time, I'll call someone for directions if I'm lost instead of trying to figure it out myself and ending up on the wrong side of town." I promised, and Dad nodded. "And, hey, if I feel unsafe or something, I'll just call Edward. He's like a ninja or something."

Dad smiled at me. "So, he saved you again?"

"Well, I had it handled pretty well anyway. He just drove the getaway car." I said. "Then, we talked a bit and caught up to the girls. They'd eaten already, so Eddy told them he'd take me home, and the two of us… well, we went on what was probably the shortest date I've ever been on." I said, grinning. Dad's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Yeah, we've been skirting around it for a while, but… He's mad for me."

"Really?" Dad put his serious face back on. I nodded.

"Yep."

"How about you?"

"Same." I said. Dad nodded, turning to look at the TV. JD and Turk were doing a musical number about what good friends they were. Dad cleared his throat.

"So, you're dating?"

"I believe so."

"Just... you know… careful." I chuckled at his version of 'the talk'.

"Trust me, Dad, it's not going that far anytime soon." I could actually feel his relief from across the room. "Anything else?"

"I'm gonna have Billy and Jacob over Saturday night. I know you and Edward are doing something during the day, but please be home for dinner. Billy and I are going to attempt to make this thing that Sue gave him the recipe for, some kinda… I'm not sure, pasta or one of those casserole thingies. Plus, there's a game on, and honestly, I'd rather watch that, but Billy insisted." Dad shrugged. I rolled my eyes and grinned.

"You two are so married." I said, standing up and cracking my neck. Dad scoffed.

"We are not."

"Are, too."

Dad rolled his eyes at me. "Go take a shower and get to bed. You have school tomorrow."

"Yessir!" I mock saluted him before going upstairs. I stripped and showered quickly. Then, with only a towel around my waist, I went into my room to find Edward sitting on my bed with the blanket he stole on his lap. I closed and locked the door. "Man, you're fast."

"Your dad seems to be taking the news of your near assault very well." Edward said a little too fast, keeping his eyes off me. I went to my dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers, slipping them on under the towel so I could dry my hair without things getting too awkward. I put on an old shirt I'd left on the floor, and finally Edward looked at me. I looked him over and couldn't help but smirk at the lavender set of pajamas he was wearing.

"Well, nothing happened. Now, I must say, darling, you look lovely." I teased, sitting down next to him. Edward fiddled with the blanket, smiling sheepishly.

"I was afraid my jeans would make your sleep uncomfortable. This is good, right? I mean, it's not bad that I'm here, is it?" Edward turned his head to face me. I patted his shoulder gently, nodding.

"Edward, the only reason it wouldn't be okay is if you're not comfortable with me being asleep next to you." I said, pulling back and scooting to the side of my bed against the wall. I laid back and patted right beside me. Edward moved to lay beside me, our shoulders barely touching as we looked at the ceiling. "So, what do you usually do when you watch me sleep?"

Edward rolled on his side to look down at me. I just turned my head. "Well, I usually just kind of stand beside your bed and just watch."

"Okay, well, that just hit the top of my creepy meter. How about we cuddle instead?" I suggested.

"How? I mean, I know how to cuddle. It's just I'm cold and solid and…" Edward trailed off at my eye roll. I turned on my side facing him and tucked my hand beneath my head. Then I tugged him so his head was resting on my elbow. Edward snuggled closer as I wrapped my other arm around his back.

"Comfy?" I asked.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yup. Now, I'm tired. You do your breathing thing, and if it gets to be too much, surf the net or something. No looming over the bed, got it?" I said, leaning my head forward and kissing his hairline. Edward trembled and moved closer. Even though I knew I'd be freezing in the morning, I didn't mind. Instead, I tightened my hold on him and closed my eyes.

My last thought before I drifted off was that there were only three things I knew for sure. First, Edward was heavy. Two, he smelled like vanilla sparkle perfume. And three, I would never tire of falling asleep like this.


	10. Interrogations

Sorry. Finals + Chapter that wouldn't let me make a decent transition. So... Yeah. Enjoy. Love you all.

* * *

**10. Interrogations**

When I woke up, I felt like I'd fallen asleep in a freezer cuddling a rock, stiff and cold. Then, Edward shifted and I could see his radiant smile and bright eyes, and it didn't matter. I tilted my head to peck his forehead for the second time, and he giggled.

"Morning, Eddy." I was glad my voice didn't break, and he didn't seem to catch on to the fact that I felt like my core body temperature had gone down thirty degrees.

"Hey, Cal." Edward said, hiding his face in my shirt. I laid there smiling like an idiot and stroking his hair for a few moments before I had to pull away.

"Stay right here, okay? I'll be right back." I instructed before crawling over him and sprinting to the bathroom. No matter how much I wanted to stay in bed, there are certain things a human body can't do. Cuddling a vampire while having a full bladder is one of those things. I breathed a sigh of relief once I was through, before washing my hands and brushing my teeth. I double rinsed with mouthwash just to be safe and combed my fingers through my hair to make it more of a styled mess. When I was satisfied, I went back into my room. Edward was still on the bed, sitting with his back against the wall. He had my pillow against his face. "What're you doing?"

"It's hard if I go without your smell for too long."

"Ten minutes is too long?" I asked. He looked up at me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's bad, isn't it?" His voice cracked. I shrugged, heading over to my closet to grab some pants.

"You need to snort my pillow. I'm fine with that. Hunh, I say we're both a little messed up. Oh well. Could be worse, I guess." I said, pulling on some jeans. I pulled off my shirt, changing into a blue tee. Edward hugged me from behind.

"I don't need your pillow – I need your smell. I need it constantly on me or it's so hard to not bite you, drink you, and kill that I can barely stand it. You have no idea how much I hate myself for that, but it's true and I've never felt like this before either." Edward sighed into my shoulder. "It's like you exist just to make me both exhilarated and miserable at the same time."

"I don't want you to be miserable." I said, leaning back against him. He tightened his hold on me.

"Then stay right here and never go anywhere ever." Edward buried his face in my hair as he spoke. I chuckled.

"Eddy, I'm not going to feel bad for going to the bathroom. And, we have mostly separate classes." I took hold of his hands. "Of course, I know exactly what we can do about this, for today, anyway."

"What's that?"

"You can just wear the clothes I was wearing yesterday. We're basically the same size, so they should fit okay, and they have my scent on them." I said, and Edward let out a soft noise somewhere between a sigh and a moan. "Eddy?"

"You are so amazing." Edward said, making me roll my eyes. "It's unnerving how easily you're able to just able to accept everything so… calmly. Anyone else would have run screaming."

"Because you have a condition?" I asked, and he started laughing.

"Did you… Did you just call me being a soulless monster… _a condition_? The fact that I want to kill you… to drink your blood… _a condition_?" He laughed as hard as I did over the banana joke.

"You are a cotton-candy person, Eddy. There's no other way to put your vampirism than you having a condition." I pulled out of his hold and turned around to face him. "You aren't going to hurt me or anyone else."

"I've killed before." He said, all traces of humor leaving his face. I shrugged, going around and picking up my clothes from before.

"When?"

"Shortly… Shortly before Rosalie joined us, before the stock market crashed, I… wasn't really all together back then." I didn't look at him as he said this, but it seemed Edward had trouble getting the words out. "I thought that Carlisle was holding me back when he was really keeping me human, and I tried to still be good even when I killed people. I stuck to eating bad people, anyway."

I stayed quiet as I thought about it, asking if something from nearly eighty years ago should matter. On one hand, murder was a big deal, even the murder of criminals. On the other, Edward was a vampire – didn't that allow for a free pass? Not a permanent one, obviously, but for something decades ago? What if I became one and had a slip-up or a moral immortal-life crisis? Human blood was their dominant food source, after all, regardless of the Cullens' decision to drink from animals instead. Even though I felt disgusted with myself for thinking of murder as a slip-up, I pushed that thought away to deal with only if becoming a vampire became a possibility. I decided I'd stick to the decade mark I'd used at the restaurant and judge Edward from that only.

I must have taken too long to respond because Edward started rambling. "You're disgusted by me, aren't you? I'm sorry. Please don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

I shook my head, turning to look at him again. His wide, golden eyes gazed deeply into my blue ones. "No, Edward, it's fine… no, it's not _fine_, but I'm not going to hold it over you since it happened so long ago. But if it ever happens again…"

"It won't! I don't want to do it again. I don't want to disappoint Carlisle, and I haven't ever done it since. Haven't even been tempted until you… stepped inside the biology classroom…" Edward trailed off, and I relaxed. If he hasn't been tempted to kill anyone but me in more than fifty years, then I had nothing to worry about. "So… you're not upset with me?"

"Well, it happened before I was born, so I don't think it's something I can even be upset over, you know? You can't change the past." I handed him my clothes. "Now, get dressed, okay? I'm going to go get some breakfast."

"Wait for me. I want to watch." Edward turned away and started to undo his shirt. I chuckled and headed for the door.

"I'll just start fixing it. That'll take a couple minutes." I said, before heading downstairs. When I got in the kitchen, I opened the breadbox to fix some toast. I turned to the toaster and Edward was sitting on the counter. "Damn, you're fast."

He smiled shyly, biting on his lip. I put the bread in the toaster, before I hopped up next to him. Our shoulders bumped against each other, and I rubbed the back of his hand with one finger. "So, Eddy, we've got an hour before we have to leave for school. What do you want to do?"

"What do you usually do?" Edward asked with his eyes fixed on my hand.

"Toast and _Frasier_." I said. Edward frowned.

"Who's Frasier?"

"A radio psychiatrist whose dad's a former cop. The show is a spin-off of _Cheers_. You might like it. You kind of remind me of his brother, Niles, a little." I hopped off the counter and got out a plate. The toast popped and I poured a glass of milk. We moved to the couch, and Edward laid his head in my lap while we watched and I ate. Edward ran out of the house after I finished eating to go get his books. I gathered my stuff together for school, and, at exactly the time my foot stepped outside the door, Edward's Volvo eased to a stop behind my truck.

"I was hoping it would be okay if I drove you today?" Edward called, smile on his face. I shrugged, heading over. I got in and threw my bag into the backseat.

"What about your siblings?" I asked as I started fiddling with his radio. Edward playfully batted my hand away, taking hold of it and running his thumb along the back.

"Rosalie's driving them in her car today." He answered and started driving. It didn't take long at all for us to reach the school, and I felt myself grinning as I saw the car we pulled in next to.

"That's her car? Dude! I don't even like cars and I know that's awesome." I exclaimed, getting out and just gazing at the beautiful, red convertible. I was pretty sure it was from build around the same year as my truck, though the paint job made it look so much better. I just stood staring at it, imagining how my truck would look if I got it painted that darker, glossier shade. I probably would have stared at it all day, but Edward pulled and pushed my arms until my backpack was on and then all but dragged me away.

"It's not that nice." He huffed, and I shook my head, unable to contain my amusement.

"Are you… jealous? Of a car?" I teased, not missing his pout. Edward pushed me in the direction of the English building, before stalking off to his Calculus class. I called out after him, "Oh, come on, Eddy! You're the only car for me!"

He scowled back in my direction, and I added, "Don't tell my truck I said that! She's still pissy I let you drive her!"

That got a smile out of him, and we waved at each other before going our separate ways. I was immediately greeted with the sight of Mike and Eric having matching grins on their faces when I passed building two.

"So, you and Cullen do it last night?" Eric asked, waggling his eyebrows. Mike punched my shoulder.

"Dude, you tapped that, right? Come on, tell us." He grinned and I shook my head.

"Nope."

"But you came in together, and that whole thing out front!" Mike protested. I groaned.

"You saw that?"

"Yep, and so did Jess. Prepare to be jumped for every last little detail." Mike said. I groaned again, rubbing my forehead. I knew he'd be right, and when I got to Trigonometry, it came true. Jessica cornered me, pushing our desks together when Mr. Varner decided to have us work in groups.

"Nothing happened."

"Something happened. Now spill." Jessica ordered, and I shook my head.

"Nothing. No kissing, no sex, no love confession. Well, handholding and we're dating officially, but nothing else. No stories for you." I assured her, and she smirked.

"Sure, but you're not getting any either." Jessica giggled, and we started working on the assignment. We kept it up for ten minutes, before Jessica looked up at me again. "So, you think you're going to be getting anywhere soon?"

"Why is everyone interested? You, Eric, Mike. Come on, Jess, what's the big deal?"

"Well, it's like… Edward is a dick to everyone, even you. Then he just up and starts being interested? And, it's been two years and he's not been into _anyone_ before, period. You're our friend, Cal. We just want to make sure he's good for you." Jessica said, before her look turned sly. "Besides, I don't know about those guys, but Angela and I both want deets on you guys because, you know."

"Oh, you girls and your hot, gay fantasies. Yeah, I get it. But, he wasn't a dick after my first day. He's just shy and didn't want to talk at school. Everything is going good." I twirled my pencil and wondered if Edward was listening to the conversation. "I'm liking where we're at. Sure, I wouldn't mind a kiss, but this is good pacing. Yeah."

"Well, if you're sure." Jessica trailed off, and I nodded. We remained on task for the rest of the class. When lunch rolled around, we walked into the cafeteria together. Edward waved me over to our table, where he had a tray of food already sitting in front of him. I headed over and plopped down.

"Hey, babe. Fancy seeing you here." I said, reaching over and stealing a French fry. Edward stared at me with a pout. "What? It's not like you were eating it."

"You called me a… you know." He mumbled.

"Well, you were." I said, and he scooted his chair closer to me.

"I said I was sorry." He laid his head on his hands and looked up at me through his lashes. It was effective, and I tilted my head down to kiss his forehead. He covered his face and looked away after. I ate some more fries.

"So, you were listening in?"

"…yes."

"It's fine, Eddy. I figured you would be. So… not long at all until Saturday. You wanna tell me what we'll be doing?"

"Nope." Edward answered, smug grin 0n his face. He pushed the tray in front of me, so I started eating the chicken nuggets he'd gotten me.

"God, these are good." I moaned, chewing slower. Edward's grin grew wider. "Thank you, Edward Mason Cullen, I will follow you forever."

"You better," Edward laid his head on my shoulder, "Callisto William Swan."

"Shh, I'm trying to keep my stupid name secret." I bit into another nugget.

"I like your name. It's different, like you." He pulled back with a genuine smile. "How did your parents come up with it?"

"Callisto was my mom's grandfather. William is from my dad's best friend, Billy Black. Jake's middle name is Charles. Dude, if my dad wasn't straight, I'd swear he and Billy were secretly dating. Oh, that reminds me. I've got to be back for dinner on Saturday. Family thing Dad sprung on me last night before you got back." I said. Edward nodded, small pout on his face. "You can last a couple hours without me."

"But I don't _want_ to." His pout grew bigger, and I was glad that our table faced the wall. I didn't want anyone else to see that expression on his face. I kissed his forehead again.

"I'm sure your own family would enjoy seeing you for a change."

"Fine." Edward laid his head on my shoulder again, and I finished up my lunch.


	11. Complications

This is mostly a filler chapter. Basically was in the book. Um... Yes.

* * *

**11. Complications**

In Biology, Edward and I played footsie under the table, even though I thought it was a little silly. He just started rubbing his foot against mine, and I couldn't help myself and started rubbing back. It was a nice distraction from the lecture on DNA and RNA, and we kept glancing over at each other, smiling. Every so often, I'd look over at Angela and gave her eyebrow-wiggles. She flashed me a thumbs up.

When class ended, I pressed my forehead against Edward's quickly, before following Mike out to the gym. Mike punched my shoulder.

"You two are disgustingly cute. I don't even want to be seen with you." Mike teased, and I punched him back.

"Shut up. You're just jealous Jess isn't in class with you." I shot back, and the two of us smirked at each other as we walked to the locker room. I felt awkward because some of the guys were glaring at me, but I ignored it and stayed close to Mike in case. When we got out, Coach Clapp was pissed over something and yelled at us to run laps all period.

"So, bro, you still not coming to the dance?" Mike asked after our third lap.

"Yeah. Eddy and I are going to be out all day, and I got a family thing that evening." I breathed out, trying to keep pace with him.

"That sucks. I was wanting you to be my wingman with Jess." Mike had no trouble breathing and running, the bastard.

"But, she's mad for you already anyway."

"I know, but I want to seal the deal, if you know what I mean."

"Dude, that's up to her." I got out before I stopped, putting my hands on my knees while I panted for breath. Mike stopped with me, patting my back until I was breathing again.

"You need to do more cardio." Mike remarked. I flipped him off. "Seriously, man, you'll end up having a heart attack one day."

"I had asthma as a kid. It's nothing to do with cardio."

"Changes nothing."

"I'm gonna kick you."

"Oooh, I'm so scared. I could take you." Mike play threatened. I straightened up and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Nope."

"Yes, I could. You'd get out of breath before you could fight back." Mike stepped closer.

"Shut up." I stepped closer.

"Make me." He said, leaning forward. Then, Coach Clapp blew her whistle and yelled at us to resume running. The two of us laughed and resumed our lap.

"You know, I think you should just tell her about your ex back in Cali if you want to score." I said, and Mike nodded with a thoughtful smile on his face.

"You think?"

"She finds guy-on-guy hot. Your gay experience might turn her on enough to get her in the mood. But, if you hurt her, I'll kick your ass, and I'm sure Eric and Edward will help me." I threatened. Mike laughed.

"Dude, I'm not going to hurt her. But, seriously? You might be able to beat someone up if there isn't much running involved, but Eric? Edward? Yeah, not so much." He chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, maybe not Eric, but trust when I say Edward is stronger than he looks."

"You're the one with the Cullen experience." Mike nodded, and the two of us focused on running. We had to do another thirty laps, and I felt like I was going to die when the class was over. Mike let me lean on him as we walked back to the locker room.

"Miiike, Miiiiike, tell Edward I luff him." I moaned as I collapsed onto the floor. He laughed and tugged me up.

"Come on, soldier. You're not dead yet." He leaned me against the lockers, and I sighed.

"I know…" I dressed slowly, muscles like jelly. Mike smacked my back and pushed me in the direction of the Volvo after we left the gym. Edward was sitting in the driver's seat, smile on his face and water bottle in the drink holder. I threw my bag in back and got in. "Oh, baby, you are amazing."

I had the whole thing downed before he even pulled out of the parking lot. "That was the best water I have ever had."

"You seemed to enjoy gym." Edward's tone was clipped and sharp. I looked at him, confusion written on my face. "Mike seems to be a good friend."

"Eddy? What's wrong?"

"You were going to kiss him."

"Babe, it's called chicken. Teasing between bros. Weren't you paying attention to Mike's thoughts?"

"Mike's thoughts don't matter. Yours do." Edward scowled at his hands. I chuckled.

"Yeah? Well, my thoughts are that Mike is a good bro who's with my friend who is a girl, and I'm mad for the friendly neighborhood cotton candy vampire. Mike and I weren't actually going to kiss, Eddy. We were just fooling around." I laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. "For someone that listens to people's thoughts, you don't know much about human behavior."

"Well forgive me for…" He turned his head to scowl out the window.

"Hey, if it's going to bug you so much, we won't do it again, but you need to calm down. You're overreacting. You know that I'm not into anyone in Forks but you."

"It… It's not just that. Emmett was making fun of me because I… well, I packed a few outfits so I wouldn't have to run all the way home when I stay with you." Edward nibbled his lip, glancing at me.

"Smart idea. So, what did he say?"

"That I'm stupid and whipped. The stupid part was actually from Rosalie, not Emmett. He was just repeating it. I tried tuning him out by focusing on you, and, well, that didn't help much." Edward sighed.

"It would have if you'd listened to him asking me for advice on how to hook up with Jessica. I mean, it would have been clearer to you that it wasn't really anything." I rubbed the shoulder under my hand. Edward sighed, more happily this time.

"I figured since you and Mike were teasing each other earlier, but we have yet to kiss…"

"Is that what bothered you about it?"

"Perhaps… yes." Edward stopped the car outside my house. I leaned closer to him.

"We could fix that." I purred, and Edward covered his face with his hands. I kissed each hand, right underneath each middle finger. He moaned softly, lowering them. I kissed his forehead, each cheek, and his nose. His eyes closed, and he let out a quiet whimper.

"Y-yes, Cal, I… N-no. Not here." Edward pulled away and covered his face again. I smiled at him. "Sorry."

"Shh, Edward, it's good." I soothed while Edward collected himself. "Your pace, babe."

"Thank you, Callisto. I'm… nervous, I guess. I've never kissed anyone before, either." Edward mumbled. I nodded and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, we're not in a rush, Eddy. Besides, I'd rather give you your first kiss someplace a little more… not a car." I pressed our foreheads together, and Edward closed his eyes. We stayed like that for several minutes, until a black car pulled in front of us. Edward stiffened, and I looked out the windshield. Jacob got out of the driver's side and through the windows, I could see a very familiar older man. "Dad didn't tell me Billy and Jake were coming over."

"I gotta go." Edward grabbed my bag and shoved it in my arms.

"Hunh?"

"I really have to go. I'll be back later." Edward unbuckled my belt. I remembered what Jake had said about Billy and the Cullens, so I nodded and got out.

"See you in a few hours." I said before I shut the door and he drove off.


	12. Balancing

So close to disco meadow... Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy Yule/Merriful Whatever You Celebrate!

* * *

**12. Balancing**

I stayed still a minute, watching the Volvo leave. Then, I hurried over to greet Billy and Jacob. "Hey, Billy! Dad didn't say you guys were coming over. How've you been?"

Billy smiled up at me from his seat in his wheelchair, and I felt an odd sensation in my stomach as I remembered how tall he was when I last saw him. I blinked a few times to get myself under control. Billy held his arms out, and I stooped to give him a hug.

"Hey, stranger, you got big on me." He said, squeezing me tight. "I've been meaning to get down here since you moved back, but things have been really busy lately."

"It's fine. I should have come up to visit, but…" I trailed off, embarrassed that I hadn't visited already despite promising Jacob. Billy rolled his eyes and let me go.

"I'm sure your dad was worried you'd get lost without him. Anyways, I wanted to make sure you guys have a fully stocked kitchen for Saturday. Plus, there's a game on that would look so much better on Charlie's big screen than our little TV." Billy gave a barking laugh and started moving to the front door. Jacob poked my shoulder.

"Can you help me with these?" Jacob gestured towards the open trunk. There were eight kinds of chips and four different snack cakes, in addition to some groceries. I raised a brow at Jacob. "You've missed it, but they're really serious about not leaving their seats during sporting events."

"And you?"

"I've memorized car manuals and specs while hiding in your room." Jacob grinned at me. "Did you check the internet history on your computer when you moved in?"

I couldn't help but smile, and we grabbed as much of the food as we could carry. As we walked up the driveway, I joked, "Maybe we should get some girlfriends for them or something? This much… whipped oatmeal creams… the hell?"

"I don't know. Dad points and I put it in the cart. I think those ones are Charlie's favorite."

"Well… I'll fix us a real meal, and we can play scrabble or something." I said as we walked up to the house. Billy already had the TV on and was flipping through the channels. Jacob and I arranged the junk food on the coffee table. "Billy, would you like a beer?"

"Yes, Callie, thank you." Billy replied, attention completely on the TV. Dad came in as I was digging around in the fridge.

"Behind the milk, Cal. And, hey, can you shove these in there?" Dad plopped a 24-pack on the floor beside me. The last two beers were where he said. I grabbed them out and hanged them to Dad. "Thanks, kiddo."

"No problem. So, is there a plan for an actual dinner…? Or are Jake and I just gonna have to figure it out ourselves?" I asked, making room in the fridge and putting the beer in. Dad was quiet for a minute.

"That's not dinner?" He asked, and I looked up to see how confused he looked.

"No, that's a heart attack and a diabetic coma. I'll take Jake and we'll get pizza, okay?" I suggested, standing up. "Or I can fix something. Not to be a downer, but Billy's diabetic and you could do with watching your blood pressure."

"And you're growing boys." Dad smiled at me. I nodded. "Well, take Jake to the diner. Billy and I are grown-ups, and I have no intention of moving from that couch until it's over."

"Good luck with that. Hey, Jake, let's go." I lead the way out to my trunk.

"Can I drive?" Jacob asks. I shake my head.

"Not until you get your license. I don't care if you rebuilt the engine." I said, and I got in the driver's side. Once Jacob was in, I drove us to the diner. "So, how's everything with you?"

"Pretty good. Sam and his girlfriend… Remember Leah?"

"Leah Clearwater? Yes, I remember Leah. She's the, uh, only girl I ever had a crush on." I smiled as I remembered Seth's feisty older sister. "She's dating Sam?"

"They just got engaged." Jacob said.

"That's fantastic!"

"Yep! And, Leah's cousin, Emily, is going to be the maid of honor. Sam's asked me to be the best man." He sounded very proud of that. I leaned over and elbowed him.

"That's great, Jake."

"Be my date?" Jacob asked, and I nodded.

"Course I will, but are you sure you wouldn't prefer asking a girl?"

"I dunno. There's not really anyone I'm, you know, interested in." Jacob said. Then, he froze up. "N-not that I'm on your team! Not that there's… anything… wrong…"

Jacob trailed off as I laughed. I parked the car and looked over at him, wiping tears from my eyes. "Jake, there's a difference between not liking any girls in your class and not liking girls."

"I-I know that." Jacob looked out the window. "It's just… you liked Leah before you decided you're gay."

"Dude, I think even straight women would like Leah. But, if you're concerned, riddle me this: do you find any guys attractive?" I asked, sitting back in my seat. Jacob shook his head. "Then, you're not gay. And, if later on you decide you like guys, what's the problem? Billy doesn't care, your sisters don't care, Dad doesn't care, and, obviously, I don't care."

"I know, Callie." Jacob punched my shoulder. "So, I'm hungry."

We got out and went into the diner. The waitress waved at us to sit in the corner. We sat and started looking through the menu. I decided on the chicken salad, needing something healthy after the sight of the junk food in my house. Jacob ordered a cheeseburger with fries.

"So, how are things with you and your 'that guy.'" He asked after the waitress brought our drinks.

"Perfect. We went on our first date yesterday, and he's just so damn cute." I said, and chuckled into my pop as the image of Edward in his pajamas entered my head.

"What's so funny?"

"Edward is. He's brand new at dating, so it's all silly and sweet. Hmm, okay, so if those two are like this with every game, how come you guys haven't been here in nearly two months?" I asked. Jacob shrugged.

"Dad and Charlie got in a fight over the Cullens. Charlie is so grateful Dr. Cullen is here, but Dad… well, I told you already what he thinks of them." He said, before drinking his soda.

"I _told_ Dad they're married. Geez, that's a stupid thing to fight over." I remarked. Jacob laughed. "You see? They're experimenting with food Saturday, they share interest in these weird sports things, they got into a fight over another man… I could go on, but–"

"No, I see it. When my dad got in the wheelchair, your dad came and scrubbed our apartment and made sure everything was set up right. Then your dad got the flu, and my dad made him soup, mucked it up, and got Seth's mom to fix some instead." Jacob stopped to take a bite of his burger. "Face it, man. We've got two daddies."

"Well, we will if Dad puts a lift in so your dad can get in the second floor in our house."

"Your dad heaves my dad up there to use the toilet already."

"Then, I'll expect the announcement any day now." I said. We started laughing, and I looked him in the eyes. "So when're the real love birds planning their wedding for?"

"I think Sam said sometime in June." Jacob said. I nodded and ate more of my salad.

"Are Becca and Rachel coming in for it?"

After an hour, the two of us had finished and headed back to my truck. We went home to find our dads asleep in front of the television with half the junk food eaten and half a dozen beer cans around. Jacob shook his head and looked at me. "I guess they're out of practice."

"Yeah. So, should we wake them or…?" I asked, looking at him. He shrugged. I nodded, and went over to Dad. "Hey, Dad, wake up. Dad, you don't want to sleep in your chair. It's bad for your back."

I gently started to shake him, and Jacob started doing the same with Billy. Soon enough, Billy and Jacob had left, and I was helping Dad to bed. He swayed as I helped him up the stairs and slurred out, "Yur eh gud kid, Caleesto. I lub yeh."

"Love you, too, Dad. Now kick off those shoes and get some sleep, okay?" I eased him down to sit on his bed. He did as I said, and, soon enough, he was asleep. I covered him up and went to my room to work on homework. It was nine o'clock when Edward knocked on my window. I let him in, and he wrapped me in a hug. "Hey, baby. What's-"

"Don't want to let you go." Edward mumbled against my neck. I pulled him to the bed, and we fell onto it.

"What happened?" I asked. Edward whimpered softly. "Baby?"

"Rosalie, she kept thinking really awful things about you and me. I don't want to go home anymore. It's too difficult when Rose and Emmett and even Jasper are thinking that I'm defective." Edward mumbled. I tightened my hold on him.

"You aren't defective. What would make them…"

"Because I was playing my piano and telling Esme all about you, and then Alice asked me when I was going to... turn you and I said I wasn't. I don't want to hurt you by making you give up everything you love forever, and I don't want to destroy your soul." Edward pulled away and crawled to the other side of the bed, next to the wall. I followed and laid down, just holding his hand. "Can I just stay here with you?"

"Of course you can." I squeezed his hand and looked into his eyes. His pupils were focused on the section of pillow between our heads. "But, while, yeah, I wouldn't want to do something like that now, maybe someday…"

"I don't want to talk about it." Edward said after a moment. I nodded.

"Just… It's like sex. It's no one's business but ours, and not something we need to worry about anyway. Don't let anyone make you upset over not wanting to be entirely committed forever to your boyfriend of one day. I mean, sheesh, we just became a couple for real not even 24 hours ago." I laced up our fingers, and Edward moved to press his forehead against my chest. "Something like that is a decision to think about when we've been together at least a year."

"Maybe… Maybe they're the defective ones for thinking we should be further along?"

"No, they're the defective ones for trying to make you feel bad over something that has nothing to do with them." I said, closing my eyes. "Besides, it shows how well you know me. I'm not going to give up my dad for a guy I've only known a couple months, even if I really like him."

Edward squeezed my hand and smiled against my chest. I buried my face in his hair and yawned. Edward quietly said against my chest, "Go ahead and sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not tired enough yet."

"Then, tell me how your family thing went." Edward pulled away so that his back was against the wall and there was half a foot between us.

"It went okay. Jake and I went to the diner since Dad and Billy were OD-ing on junk food."

"Alone?" I laughed at the jealous tone.

"Eddy, Jake's like a brother to me." I reassured him, before adding, "We talked about a wedding coming up between two of our friends and joked about how married our dads are. It wasn't a date."

"Promise?" I looked into Edward's wide eyes.

"Yes." I said, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Here I would have thought I'd be the one getting jealous over nothing."

"Why?"

"Guy number three was very unfaithful on top of some other things." I admitted, burying my face in the pillow. Edward started petting my hair, and I relaxed. His fingers were very dexterous and moved down to my neck occasionally. The coldness was very soothing, and I yawned again. "Mmm, don't stop that."

"I won't. Now get some sleep already." Edward ordered, and I obeyed without complaint.

When I woke up, Edward was sitting next to me, stroking my hair and reading with one of my favorite… romance books. He didn't look up from it, so I just watched him read for a moment. Eventually, he closed it and looked down at me. His eyes widened.

"Callisto, th-that is a very, very naughty book." Edward stammered. I laughed and sat up.

"It's not that bad." I said, taking it from him.

"Yes, it is. They were touching each other and…" Edward trailed off, picking up and hugging the pillow. I patted his hand.

"It couldn't be worse than what you hear high school students think every day."

"I always try to tune them out and focus on the teachers." Edward said. He quickly added, "Their lectures, I mean. Or, I compose in my head. Or, I think about you. I don't get away from every single thought, but I've managed to avoid most of it."

"Well… I have other things you can read, you know. Deadpool comics and stuff." I pointed over to my desk. Edward shook his head. "What? You don't like comic books?"

"They're not my favorite thing." Edward said. I shrugged.

"Then… you could always bring over some of your favorites." I suggested. Edward nodded.

"Maybe this evening… Oh! We should go in your truck today."

"Sure!" I grinned at him. "Oh, but why?"

"I'm leaving early. Alice and I are going hunting so I'll be nice and full for tomorrow." Edward explained. I nodded. "Your father left already, so should I try to fix you breakfast?"

"If you want to. I need to get a shower." I said, and we started getting ready for the day.


	13. Confessions

Sorry about taking so long. College. Oh! I went to Paris last week. It was awesome!

* * *

**13. Confessions**

Saturday found Edward and I in my truck parked in the middle of nowhere. I looked at the trees outside before turning to look at Edward. "So, what exactly are we doing here?"

"Going on a hike." Edward said, smiling back at me. He reached over and adjusted my coat. I made a face, and he giggled. "Trust me, you'll like the place I'm taking you to."

"If you say so, but nature and I have never been friendly with each other." I skeptically looked back out at the trees. Edward got out and zapped around to open my door.

"Don't worry, Callisto, I'll carry you if it's too much - I just really wish for you to see it! It's my favorite place in the whole state." Edward looked so eager that I couldn't help but smile. I got out and followed him into the woods. He led me off the trail, through a path littered with tree roots and thorns, but I kept walking and he didn't rush me. Eventually, an hour, maybe two, later, he told me to close my eyes and steered me around a bush. "Okay, open them!"

Before me was the most beautiful meadow I had ever seen, not that I'd ever actually seen one in person before, filled with flowers and sunlight. I walked in, taking in all the colors: reds, blues, greens, purples, and whites. I knelt down to smell a particularly pretty one before realizing that Edward wasn't there. I looked back. Edward was standing back at the entrance, twiddling his thumbs and looking at me. "So, are you coming in here, or…?"

"Well, I don't want to frighten you." Edward looked down at his feet. I stood up, tilting my head in confusion. "The sunlight makes our skin… look different."

"Get in here, dummy. I don't care how you look." I beckoned him over. Edward hesitated another moment before stepping into the sunlight.

I have no idea what I was expecting, but it wasn't what actually happened. When the sunlight hit Edward, his body lit up like shiny foil wrapping paper. It was like I was high and looking at someone with way too much glitter stuck to them. I couldn't look away, and I couldn't keep a straight face, either.

"This is too much, Edward!" I laughed, falling down into the flowers. "Haha, you… I'm in a meadow, full of flowers, and my boyfriend is… _sparkling_. Nope, nope. This is it. I'm dead. I have hit the limit. Can't do it. Go on without me."

Edward was towering over me all at once, pout on his face that just made me laugh harder. "Cal, I don't think you understand! This is the skin of a killer!"

"That is the skin of a disco ball." I propped myself up on my elbows. "This is the least threatening moment of my life."

Edward frowned. "I'm a predator! You are my prey!"

"You are my boyfriend! And there is nothing about this that isn't gay!" I responded before bursting into another round of laughing. "Holy hell, Eddy, that even rhymed. I didn't plan it, I swear!"

Edward scowled at me. "You aren't taking this seriously at all, are you?"

"Eddy, the only way this could get any less serious is if there was a unicorn hiding around here somewhere for you to ride." I sat up properly, finally getting myself under control. "I honestly don't understand how this could be scary."

"Because!" Edward stomped across to the other side of the meadow, before turning and doing his zapping thing up to a tree just a couple yards away from me. "Because you can't outrun me!"

He grabbed the tree, which was about as thick as my upper thigh, and broke it in two pieces before throwing it over my head and into the woods we'd just come from. "Because you can't fight me off!"

I stared at him and shrugged. He hesitantly stepped towards me. "Don't be afraid, though, Cal. I won't hurt you."

"I'm not scared. If anything that just demonstrated that this is even more ridiculous than I thought." I flopped back in the flowers. "You're acting out like a little kid playing at being scary. I told you before and I'll say it again – I saw you smash up a car and I'm aware that I'm more breakable than a car."

"Then why aren't you even a little scared? Or intimidated at least?" Edward sat down next to me, face two feet above mine.

"Why do you want me to be?"

"I don't." Edward started running a finger over my lips. "I want to know that you aren't completely oblivious to the fact that you are in danger. I want to know that you don't have a death wish."

"I don't have a death wish. It's just that we're here, in a flowery meadow, and you're sparkling, which is the opposite of frightening, and throwing a tantrum." I smiled and closed my eyes. "Who could possibly find this serious?"

Edward giggled and moved his hand to start stroking my hair. "I suppose you're right. I just worry that you'll get so used to me that you won't recognize others of my kind as a threat."

"Point taken, but _you _shouldn't try to intimidate me. It'll just end up being ridiculous." I looked up at him. "It's just you, Eddy. You're my boyfriend and I love you. Of course I'm not afraid of you. A vampire that'd hurt me would actually scare me, but so wouldn't a human that wanted to hurt me."

Edward's hand stopped moving and his eyes went straight to mine. "Really?"

"Really what?"

"You love me?" Edward leaned closer, until half the distance between our faces was crossed. I wet my lips with my tongue, reaching up to tangle my fingers in his hair. Edward leaned into my touch. I pushed myself up on my elbow, and he moved with me. Our faces stayed just apart.

"Yeah, I do." My voice was low as I answered. Edward's eyes widened, and he looked down.

"I… I love you, too." Edward stammered. I ran a finger over his cheek, and he returned his gaze to me. I leaned forward slowly, giving him plenty of chance to pull back, before I pressed my lips to his. It was just a light brush, barely even a kiss, and then all at once he was at the other end of the meadow with one hand pressed to his mouth. I sat up properly to watch him.

It was several minutes before Edward moved, and then it was only to sit down. I stood up and went over to him. "Edward? You alright?"

"I don't know. It's more intense than I thought it would be." He looked up at me with wide eyes. I knelt down beside him. "I feel strange."

"Strange how?"

"My lips are tingly and I…" Edward trailed off, turning away from me. "This is something I haven't felt since I was changed. I need to go for a walk."

"Okay…" I frowned, confused as hell until it hit me. Then, I reached over, grinning as I touched his shoulder. "Or we could do it again."

Edward slowly turned back toward me, not meeting my eyes. He shook his head, nodded, and shook his head again, before pouncing on me. I let him lead the kiss until he relaxed, then I flipped us. He allowed it, and I ran my tongue over his lips until he opened up his mouth for me to explore. He tasted a bit like lemons, which was surprising, and I had to be mindful of his teeth, which I discovered quickly were very sharp. His eagerness more than made up for it, though, as he pulled me closer and bucked his hips. I ground down a little before pulling away when the need for air became too much. I rolled over to lie beside him.

"Callie…" Edward mumbled, hiding his face in his hands again. "Cal…"

"No, Eddy. Don't hide from me." I tugged his hands until he was laying on his side, hands clasped in mine. His eyes were shut, and I leaned forward and kissed him again. "Don't be embarrassed, Edward."

He smiled and gazed at me, and we ended up staying there, just alternating between kissing and looking, for a long time. Eventually, we had to get up and head back to the truck so I could be back in time for Billy and Jacob. Edward looked at me with this sly look.

"Can I show you something?" He asked and crouched down in front of me. I quirked a brow before nodding. "Get on my back."

Skeptically, I did as he asked and climbed on, hugging him so I wouldn't fall off. He stood up slowly, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. "Okay, Eddy. Now what?"

Edward laughed, and suddenly we were flying through the forest. He jumped and skipped over bushes and branches, and the scenery whizzed past us at dizzying speeds. I shut my eyes, afraid I'd be sick, and laughed at how nice the air felt as Edward ran. In minutes, we were back at the truck and Edward opened the passenger door for me. I stumbled when I got off him, swaying like a drunkard and laughing harder.

"Did you like that?" He asked, seeming way too pleased at how unsteady my legs were. I rolled my eyes and got in the car.

"Come on, Superman. Take me home."

Billy and Jacob were already at the house when Edward and I got there. Edward parked the truck. I leaned over and kissed Edward one more time before getting out. Edward followed me up to the front door. "Bye, Callie. I'll… see you later."

I kissed him again and whispered against his lips, "Better wear those pajamas I like."

Edward pulled away, covering his face with one hand, and jogged away from the house. I watched him go before I went inside. Dad and Jacob smiled up at me from the couch.

"So, Callie, have a good time?" Dad asked. I grinned back.

"Yeah, it was fun." I said, plopping down on the couch between them. "We hiked up to this really pretty spot near the top, and talked and stuff."

"You shouldn't be alone with him so long." Billy said behind us, making me jump a bit.

"Whoa, I didn't see you there." I said. Billy wheeled around so he was in front of the couch. He had a cookbook in his lap and was wearing an apron.

"Billy, for the last time, I _like _the Cullen family. We're lucky to have Dr. Cullen, and none of the kids have ever given me trouble." Dad had a glare on his face. Billy glared right back, and Jacob and I shared a look.

"Dad, he's probably worried that Eddy and I are going to run off and, uh, christen every available surface." I said, face heating up, but it seemed to through off the argument as Dad flushed deeper than I was.

"Oh. Right. Um." Dad stammered. Jacob let out a sigh of relief, and Billy laughed. "Cooking! Let's go do that."

Dad and Jacob both hurried into the kitchen space, and Billy wheeled toward me.

"You should know that's not what I'm talking about." Billy said, voice low.

"I know what you're talking about. Eddy told me. We're being safe." I said, looking at him. "Really, Uncle Billy."

He stared at me, and I could feel the disappointment radiating off him. I stood up and went to the kitchen. Billy let it go, at least for the evening, and we had fun trying to cook. Only Billy and I actually had any idea of what we were doing, but it was nice. The food tasted a little off, but we were all laughing and congratulating ourselves on not giving each other food poisoning.

Later, as Edward and I were settling in bed, Edward kissed my cheek. "Callie?"

"Yeah, Eddy?" I looked at him. He leaned forward and chastely kissed me.

"Can I ask your father for permission to court you?" He asked. I smiled, chuckling slightly.

"Why not? I'd love to see his face if you asked him just like that." Edward's face lit up, and he pulled me close.

"Now sleep, Cal." He ordered, burying his face in my neck. I obeyed.


End file.
